hack

To work on something, especially to program a computer. (See: hacker.)

To do some kind of mischief, especially to play a prank on, or penetrate, a system. (See: hacker, cracker.)

An item of completed work, or a solution for a problem, that is non-generalizable, i.e., is very specific to the application area or problem being solved.

Tutorial: Often, the application area or problem involves computer programming or other use of a computer. Characterizing something as a hack can be a compliment, such as when the solution is minimal and elegant; or it can be derogatory, such as when the solution fixes the problem but leaves the system in an unmaintainable state.

See [Raym] for several other meanings of this term and also definitions of several derivative terms.