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Definition of "hackney" []

  • A horse of a breed developed in England, having a gait characterized by pronounced flexion of the knee. (noun)
  • A trotting horse suited for routine riding or driving; a hack. (noun)
  • A coach or carriage for hire. (noun)
  • To cause to become banal and trite through overuse. (verb-transitive)
  • To hire out; let. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "hackney" in a sentence
  • "When those involved were expelled after a huge public row over all sorts of things to do with how the party in hackney was run (at the time the press described the expellees as the good guys - they weren't) then it became the party they joined (ie the Lib Dems) who took it up."
  • "To that end I called a hackney-coach, not greatly caring, I confess it, to be seen in broad daylight in London streets with such an astonishing pair of guys as poor old Ruffiano and his friend."
  • "I was not content to let him go: But presently we called a hackney-coach, and myself and him, and major Tasker went, and carried that money to Mr. Tryon."