Part 673

3. One of the peculiar, long, narrow feathers on the neck of fowls, most noticeable on the cock, -- often used in making artificial flies; hence, any feather so used.

4. An artificial fly for angling, made of feathers.

Hac"kle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hackled (-k'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Hackling (-klng).] 1. To separate, as the coarse part of flax or hemp from the fine, by drawing it through the teeth of a hackle or hatchel.

2. To tear asunder; to break in pieces.

The other divisions of the kingdom being hackled and torn to pieces.

Burke.

Hac"kly (hk"l), a. [From Hackle.] 1. Rough or broken, as if hacked.

2. (Min.) Having fine, short, and sharp points on the surface; as, the hackly fracture of metallic iron.

Hack"man (-man), n.; pl. Hackmen (-men). The driver of a hack or carriage for public hire.

Hack"ma*tack` (-m*tk`), n. [Of American Indian origin.] (Bot.) The American larch (Larix Americana), a coniferous tree with slender deciduous leaves; also, its heavy, close-grained timber. Called also tamarack.

Hack"ney (-n), n.; pl. Hackneys (-nz). [OE. hakeney, hakenay; cf. F. haquenÈe a pacing horse, an ambling nag, OF. also haguenÈe, Sp. hacanea, OSp. facanea, D. hakkenei, also OF. haque horse, Sp. haca, OSp. faca; perh. akin to E. hack to cut, and nag, and orig. meaning, a jolting horse. Cf. Hack a horse, Nag.] 1. A horse for riding or driving; a nag; a pony. Chaucer.

2. A horse or pony kept for hire.

3. A carriage kept for hire; a hack; a hackney coach.

4. A hired drudge; a hireling; a prostitute.

Hack"ney, a. Let out for hire; devoted to common use; hence, much used; trite; mean; as, hackney coaches; hackney authors. "Hackney tongue." Roscommon.

Hack"ney, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hackneyed (-nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Hackneying.] 1. To devote to common or frequent use, as a horse or carriage; to wear out in common service; to make trite or commonplace; as, a hackneyed metaphor or quotation.

Had I so lavish of my presence been, So common-hackneyed in the eyes of men.

Shak.

2. To carry in a hackney coach. Cowper.

Hack"ney*man (-mn), n.; pl. Hackneymen (-mn). A man who lets horses and carriages for hire.

Hack"ster (-str), n. [From Hack to cut.] A bully; a bravo; a ruffian; an assassin. [Obs.] Milton.

Hac"que*ton (hk"k*tn), n. Same as Acton. [Obs.]

Had (hd), imp. & p. p. of Have. [OE. had, hafde, hefde, AS. hÊfde.] See Have.

Had as lief, Had rather, Had better, Had as soon, etc., with a nominative and followed by the infinitive without to, are well established idiomatic forms. The original construction was that of the dative with forms of be, followed by the infinitive. See Had better, under Better.

And lever me is be pore and trewe. [And more agreeable to me it is to be poor and true.]

C. Mundi (Trans.).

Him had been lever to be syke. [To him it had been preferable to be sick.]

Fabian.