hackney

1 of 3

noun

hack·​ney ˈhak-nē How to pronounce hackney (audio)
plural hackneys
1
a
: a horse suitable for ordinary riding or driving
b
: a trotting horse used chiefly for driving
c
often capitalized : any of an English breed of rather compact usually chestnut, bay, or brown high-stepping horses
2
: a carriage or automobile kept for hire
3
obsolete : one that works for hire

Illustration of hackney

Illustration of hackney
  • hackney 1c

hackney

2 of 3

adjective

1
: kept for public hire
hackney cabs
2
3
archaic : done or suitable for doing by a drudge

hackney

3 of 3

verb

hackneyed; hackneying

transitive verb

1
a
: to make common or frequent use of
b
: to make trite, vulgar, or commonplace
2
archaic : to make sophisticated or jaded

Examples of hackney in a Sentence

Adjective she quickly learned to ignore her children's hackney complaints like “It isn't fair” and “Why me?” Verb advertisers have hackneyed the word “revolutionary” so much that it now just means that a product is new
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Acceptable modes of transit include a 1969 Mini Cooper, any model of Range Rover that Prince Philip once drove, or a hackney carriage. Simon Webster, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2023 Feinberg is still driving under the same hackney carriage medallion that he was issued in 1975, according to police. Danny McDonald, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2018
Verb
Director Zach Braff runs in the opposite direction of these stereotypes and all other things hackneyed, crafting an enjoyable time at the movies. Peter Hartlaub, Orange County Register, 6 Apr. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hackney.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English hakeney, hakenay "a small saddle horse, especially one for hire," probably from hackney, originally a parish and village, where nearby meadows may have been used to pasture horses

Adjective

Middle English hakenay, from attributive use of hakeney hackney entry 1

Verb

derivative of hackney entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hackney was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near hackney

Cite this Entry

“Hackney.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hackney. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hackney

1 of 2 noun
hack·​ney ˈhak-nē How to pronounce hackney (audio)
plural hackneys
1
: any of a breed of compact high-stepping English horses
2
: a carriage or automobile kept for hire

hackney

2 of 2 adjective
1
: kept for public hire
2

Geographical Definition

Hackney

geographical name

Hack·​ney ˈhak-nē How to pronounce Hackney (audio)
borough of northern Greater London, England population 250,000

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