v. 1 cut or chop roughly. 2 Football etc. kick the shin of (an opponent). 3 (often foil. by at) deliver cutting blows. 4 cut (one’s way) through foliage etc. 5 colloq. gain unauthorized access to (data in a computer). 6 slang manage, cope with; tolerate. 7 (as hacking adj.) (of a cough) short, dry, and frequent. n. 1 kick with the toe of a boot. 2 gash or wound, esp. from a kick. 3 a mattock. b miner’s pick. [Old English]