hacked up (jargon, programming) Sufficiently patched, kluged, and tweaked that the surgical scars are beginning to crowd out normal tissue (compare critical mass). Not all programs that are hacked become "hacked up"; if modifications are done with some eye to coherence and continued maintainability, the software may emerge better for the experience.
Contrast hack up. [Jargon File] Last updated: 1996-08-26