exploit

Noun · Verb
Synonyms: feateffortworktapoverwork

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

  1. a notable achievement“he performed a great feat”“the book was her finest effort”Synonyms: feateffort

Verb (3)

  1. use or manipulate to one's advantage“He exploit the new taxation system”“She knows how to work the system”“he works his parents for sympathy”Synonyms: work
  2. draw from; make good use of“we must exploit the resources we are given wisely”Synonyms: tap
  3. work excessively hard“he is exploiting the students”Synonyms: overwork
Advertisement

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Exploit \Ex*ploit"\, n. [OE. esploit success, OF. esploit, espleit,revenue, product, vigor, force, exploit, F. exploit exploit, fr. L. explicitum, prop. p. p. neut. of explicare to unfold, display, exhibit; ex + plicare to fold. See Ply, and cf. Explicit, Explicate.]

1.A deed or act; especially, a heroic act; a deed of renown; an adventurous or noble achievement; as, the exploits of Alexander the Great. [1913 Webster]

Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises.— Shak.[1913 Webster]

2.Combat; war. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

He made haste to exploit some warlike service.— Holland.[1913 Webster]

2.[F. exploiter.] To utilize; to make available; to get the value or usefulness out of; as, to exploit a mine or agricultural lands; to exploit public opinion. [Recent] [1913 Webster]

3.Hence: To draw an illegitimate profit from; to speculate on; to put upon. [Recent] [1913 Webster]

In no sense whatever does a man who accumulates a fortune by legitimate industry exploit his employ['e]s or make his capital "out of" anybody else.— W. G. Sumner.[1913 Webster]

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

exploit

<security> A security vulnerability or an instance of taking advantage of a security vulnerability.

"hackers say exploit. sysadmins say hole" -- Mike Emke (http://emke.com/).

(2014-10-25)

The Jargon File

exploit n. [originally cracker slang]

1.A vulnerability in software that can be used for breaking security or otherwise attacking an Internet host over the network. The Ping O' Death is a famous exploit.

2.More grammatically, a program that exploits an exploit in sense 1.

Advertisement