hash1

 
Pronunciation: /haʃ/

noun

  • a dish of cooked meat cut into small pieces and cooked again, usually with potatoes.
  • North American a finely chopped mixture: a hash of raw tomatoes, chillies, and coriander
  • a mixture of jumbled incongruous things; a mess.

verb

[with object]
  • 1make (meat or other food) into a hash.
  • North American chop (meat or vegetables): (as adjective hashed) hashed potatoes
  • 2 (hash something out) come to agreement on something after lengthy and vigorous discussion: they met during the day to hash out the campaign’s reaction to the controversy

Phrases

make a hash of

informal make a mess of; bungle: he made a right hash of tearing open the envelope

settle someone's hash

informal deal with someone in a forceful and decisive manner: the coal merchant tried to foist boiler-nuts on us but I soon settled his hash

Origin:

late 16th century (as a verb): from French hacher, from hache (see hatchet)