WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Hack"ney
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [OE. haceney, hacenay; cf. F. haquen?e a pacing horse, an ambling nag, OF. also haquen?e, Sp. hacanea, OSp. facanea, D. hakkenei, also OF. haque horse, Sp. haca, OSp. faca; perh akin to E. hack to cut, and orig. meaning, a jolting horse. Cf. Hack a horse,
Definition : 1. A horse for riding or driving; a nag; a pony. Chaucer.

2. A horse or pony kept for hire.

3. A carriage kept for hire; a hack; a hackney coach.

4. A hired drudge; a hireling; a prostitute.

pl. Hackneys.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : Hack"ney
Part of Speech : a.
Definition : Defn: Let out for hire; devoted to common use; hence, much used; trite; mean; as, hackney coaches; hackney authors. "Hackney tongue." Roscommon.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : Hack"ney
Part of Speech : v.
Definition : 1. To devote to common or frequent use, as a horse or carriage; to wear out in common service; to make trite or commonplace; as, a hackneyed metaphor or quotation. Had I lavish of my presence been, So common-hackneyed in the eyes of men. Shak.

2. To carry in a hackney coach. Cowper.

t. [imp. & p. p. Hackneyed; p. pr. & vb. n. Hackneying.]
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913