hackney

name

1. A London borough in Greater London, England, where once upon a time many horses were pastured.
2. A town in eastern London, England, within this borough (OS grid ref TQ3584).
3. An English habitational surname from Old English.
4. One of several breeds of compact English horses: see hackney
5. (in-compounds)(means of transportation): see hackney.

noun

1. (archaic, countable, uncountable)An ordinary horse.
2. (countable, uncountable)A carriage for hire or a cab.

   “"Mamma would die if she knew. The boy," replied Georgiana, "walked with us to Oxford Street, and we took a hackney-coach. Will Mrs. Gooch ever forgive us for getting out of it at her door?"”

3. (countable, uncountable)A horse used to ride or drive.
4. (countable, uncountable)A breed of English horse.
5. (archaic, countable, uncountable)A hired drudge; a hireling; a prostitute.
6. (archaic, uncountable)Inferior writing; literary hackwork.

   “Not that the existence of Grub street is to be doubted: it was, indeed, a grim actuality, and many a garreter realised by experience How unhappy's the fate To live by one's pate And to be forced to write hackney for bread.”

adj

1. (not-comparable)Offered for hire.

   “hackney coaches”

2. (figuratively, not-comparable)Much used; trite; mean.

   “hackney authors”

   “his accumulative and hackney tongue”

verb

1. (transitive)To make uninteresting or trite by frequent use.
2. (transitive)To use as a hackney.
3. (transitive)To carry in a hackney coach.

   “[…] To her, who, frugal only that her thrift / May feed excesses she can ill afford, / Is hackneyed home unlackeyed; […]”