hackney Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a carriage for hire
    hackney carriage; hackney coach.
  2. noun a compact breed of harness horse

WordNet

Hack"ney noun
Etymology
OE. haceney, hacenay; cf. F. haquenée a pacing horse, an ambling nag, OF. also haquenée, 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, Nag.
Wordforms
plural Hackneys
Definitions
  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.
Hack"ney adjective
Definitions
  1. Let out for hire; devoted to common use; hence, much used; trite; mean; as, hackney coaches; hackney authors. "Hackney tongue." Roscommon. also hackneyed
Hack"ney transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Hackneyed ; present participle & verbal noun Hackneying
Definitions
  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.

Webster 1913