hackney

noun (a hackney, hackneys); adjective hackneyed; noun, a name (Hackney)

«hackney» in the English dictionary: everyday and Early Modern English — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

Everyday

(a name) Hackney, a borough (area) in East London. tree →
A hackney carriage: the official name for a taxi in the UK, especially a black cab. tree →
A breed of horse or pony with a high-stepping trot, once used to pull carriages. tree →
«Hackneyed» means used so often it has become boring: a hackneyed phrase. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday British life and law, «hackney carriage» is written on licensed taxis. In history lessons hackney coaches were horse-drawn cabs for hire. In writing lessons teachers warn against hackneyed phrases (clichés) like «it was all a dream». Phrases: hackney carriage, a hackneyed phrase, the London Borough of Hackney.

Examples

My cousin lives in Hackney in East London. tree →
The sign on the black cab said «Hackney Carriage». tree →
Hackney ponies lift their legs high when they trot. tree →
In Victorian times you could hire a hackney coach. tree →
«Once upon a time» is a hackneyed opening for a story. tree →
The writer avoided hackneyed phrases. tree →
Two minutes later, he was sitting in a hackney-coach and driving to Frederickshafen. tree →

Note

Capital H for the place name. Pronounced HACK-nee. «Hackneyed» is the adjective for overused words; it is linked to hired horses that were overworked.

Early Modern English

Meaning

a horse-drawn carriage for hire, a cab. tree →

Then and now

Today the word is rare and mostly appears in 'hackney-coach' or as a place name; we say taxi or cab.

Examples

Two minutes later, he was sitting in a hackney-coach and driving to Frederickshafen. (Andersen's Fairy Tales) tree →
Never had his age, with which, however, he was always grumbling, seemed so miserable as on this evening. “I'll take a hackney-coach!” thought he. (Andersen's Fairy Tales) tree →
“By your leave!” said the Councillor to the Hostess, who came bustling towards him. “I've felt so queer all of a sudden; would you have the goodness to send for a hackney-coach to take me to Christianshafen?” (Andersen's Fairy Tales) tree →

Note

Today: taxi, cab.

On Mova

Trees and pragmatics of «hackney» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«hackney» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
Trees and pragmatics of «hackney» in the Early Modern English dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«hackney» in the Early Modern English dictionary on Mova free.

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