hackney
Pronunciation: /ˈhakni/
noun ( plural hackneys)
chiefly historical
Origin:
Middle English: probably from Hackney in East London, where horses were pastured. The term originally denoted an ordinary riding horse (as opposed to a war horse or draught horse), especially one available for hire: hence hackney carriage or coach, and the verb hackney meaning 'use (a horse) for general purposes', later 'make commonplace by overuse' (see hackneyed)