I. ˈhak-nē noun
( plural hack·neys )
Etymology: Middle English hakeney
Date: 14th century
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. obsolete : one that works for hire
3. : a carriage or automobile kept for hire
[
hackney 1c
]
II. adjective
Date: 1589
1. : kept for public hire
2. : hackneyed
3. archaic : done or suitable for doing by a drudge
III. transitive verb
( hack·neyed ; hack·ney·ing )
Date: 1596
1.
a. : to make common or frequent use of
b. : to make trite, vulgar, or commonplace
2. archaic : to make sophisticated or jaded