hackerish

comparative more hackerish · superlative most hackerish

1. informalResembling or characteristic of a hacker (technically skilled computer enthusiast).

   There is a rich, hackerish tradition in the computer world of making any new computer or video game system emulate those that came before it.

   2009, Damien Stolarz, David Jurick, Adam Stolarz, William Hurley, iPhone Hacks: Pushing the iPhone and iPod Touch Beyond Their Limits

   3 more examples

   The hackerish look of dot-matrix fonts on screens and printers has partially prevented full acceptance of computers as tools for a literate public.

   1985, Byte, volume 10

   Jones is an engineer, and presented the engineering approach as the more hackerish, the more ad hoc of the two: Solve the problem no matter what.

   1990, Dr. Dobb's journal of software tools for the professional programmer

   Facebook’s unencumbered, efficient, agile, hackerish style is to make everything seem ‘easy’ – and when you need, in one of Zuckerberg’s favourite phrases, to ‘move fast and break things’, you just shrug.

   2013, Joanna Biggs, “Tell me everything”, in London Review of Books, volume 35, number 7

2. informalcomputingResembling or characteristic of a hacker (malicious user who breaks into computer systems).

   To find a hacker chat room, look for rooms with names like #2600, #phreak, #carding, #cracks, #anarchy, or any other phrase that sounds hackerish.

   2006, Wally Wang, Steal this computer book 4.0: what they won't tell you about the Internet

   1 more example

   ...requires users to disclose new and useful information on computer and network security or other hackerish subjects to be admitted to the privileged areas of the system.

   1995, Lance Rose, NetLaw: your rights in the online world