Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Hackney \Hack"ney\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Hackneyed}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Hackneying}.]
   1. To devote to common or frequent use, as a horse or
      carriage; to wear out in common service; to make trite or
      commonplace; as, a hackneyed metaphor or quotation.

            Had I lavish of my presence been, So
            common-hackneyed in the eyes of men.  --Shak.

   2. To carry in a hackney coach. --Cowper.

Source : WordNet®

hackneyed
     adj : repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse; "bromidic
           sermons"; "his remarks were trite and commonplace";
           "hackneyed phrases"; "a stock answer"; "repeating
           threadbare jokes"; "parroting some timeworn axiom";
           "the trite metaphor `hard as nails'" [syn: {banal}, {commonplace},
            {old-hat}, {shopworn}, {stock(a)}, {threadbare}, {timeworn},
            {tired}, {trite}, {well-worn}]