"Hacking" is most commonly used in the negative sense of an illegal act of computer crime to access resources which would otherwise be inaccessible. In the context of a hackathon though, the definition is one of the alternatives meaning to "cut with rough or heavy blows" (the act of intense focus on the project) or "manage; cope; muddle through". From a historical prospective, a "hacker" was one who's motives were to build and create, and a "cracker" was someone motivated by destruction or theft - read more here.
At its core, a hackathon is a short-burst event in which individuals typically form teams to intensively collaborate on projects which are designed around the problem statement or ideas provided by the hackathon organizers.
A hackathon is underpinned and identified by these core tenants:
- Creative problem solving. While there are no laws or rules a hackathon must include a technological (software, etc.) component, it most often does. If it doesn't include a technology component, it is usually more akin to a brainstorming session.
- A gathering of individuals working together, attempting to solve a common problem or set of problems. Yes, you could be a HACKATHON TEAM of one, but given the short duration of most hackathons and the complexity of problems to be solved in the world today, diverse teams are almost always going to be more effective in creating solutions to a problem.