English

Noun

hacker (hackers )

1. Someone who hacks, or cuts with rough blows
2. A golfer of indifferent ability. May be used pejoratively.
3. One who is intensely interested in learning and modifying the technical aspects of a system, particularly a computer and its software.
4. A computer programmer who is largely or completely self-taught.
5. One who feels that all knowledge and information should be free and may be willing to hack into systems to promote this view.
6. A cracker; one who breaks into computer systems with malicious or criminal intent.

Usage Note

The sense meaning "one who is intensely interested ...", dating at least to the 1960's, is still current in the computing community. However, popular usage, including news accounts and television programs, tends overwhelmingly toward the cracker sense. Many in the hacker community (in the older sense) feel it is important to promote usage of the older sense, and find the cracker sense offensive, particularly since computer burglary and vandalism can be and often are done without any deep understanding or significant skill. One should, however, use the term with care in casual conversation, as it is easily misconstrued.

Related terms

• black hat hacker
• hack
• hack into
• kernel hacker
• Unix hacker
• white hat hacker

Translations

• hakkeri (2, 3, 4, 5), kräkkeri (5)

  bidouilleur (3-6)

  hakeris , urķis

See also

• cracker
• script kiddie
• Wikipedia article on hacker
• The Hacker's dictionary
• Hacker's dictionary definition of hacker