I. transitive verb
or high-jack ˈhīˌjak
Etymology: origin unknown
1.
a.
(1) : to steal by stopping a vehicle carrying contraband, illicit, or stolen goods
hijack a truckload of bootleg whiskey — Emporia (Kans.) Gazette
(2) : to stop in transit and steal the cargo of
hijack a truck near the foot of the mountain
(3) : to hold up and rob in the manner of one who hijacks
attempted to hijack us for the jewelry right in daylight — Frank O'Leary
b. : to steal or rob as if by hijacking
accused of hijacking half a million marks' worth of textiles — Joseph Wechsberg
connives against the republic and has to flee the country in a hijacked airplane — Harvey Swados
reputedly hijacked the less intrepid gentry of their ill-got booty and their slaves — New York Herald Tribune
c. : kidnap
about sixty thousand Kanakas were enticed or hijacked to Australia — Alan Moorehead
2.
a. : to subject to extortion or swindling
has deliberately set out to … hijack the American people through uncontrolled profits and inflation — Philip Murray †1952
b. : coerce , force
hijacking buyers into purchasing unwanted accessories — N.K.Teeters & J.O.Reinemann
II. ˈhīˌjak noun
( -s )
Etymology: hijack , verb
: an instance of hijacking