noun
hackney
HAK-nee/hˈækni/
A horse kept available for hired transport.
The hackney pulls a hired cab whose passenger pays the driver before boarding.
Etymology
The name probably comes from Hackney, where horses apparently were kept on pastureland. It became a term for an ordinary riding horse, then a horse for hire, and later a carriage for hire.
More examples
- Two hackneys wait outside the stable for customers.
- She returns the hackney after a day's ride.
- The innkeeper rents him a hackney for the journey.
Forms
hackney · hackneys