hot spot

noun

variants or less commonly hotspot

ˈhät-ˌspät 

plural hot spots also hotspots

1

: a place of more than usual interest, activity, or popularity

birding hot spots

2

: a place in the upper mantle of the earth at which hot magma from the lower mantle upwells to melt through the crust usually in the interior of a tectonic plate to form a volcanic feature

also : a place in the crust overlying a hot spot

3

a

: an area of political, military, or civil unrest usually considered dangerous

global hot spots

b

: a place or area (such as a city or region of a country) where there is an elevated prevalence or increased transmission risk of a disease

The city became a COVID-19 hot spot.

4

: a place where a wireless Internet connection is available

5

: an inflamed patch of moist infected skin on a domestic animal and especially a dog

Examples of hot spot in a Sentence

The new restaurant is the latest hot spot in town.

This part of the country is a hot spot of rebel activity.

Recent Examples on the Web

Qualifications and Research: However, despite all the interest in Turkey as a medical tourism hot spot, thorough research is crucial for a successful hair transplant journey. —Chris Gallagher, Journal Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2024

Perched along the Delaware River, this hamlet of around 390 residents is one of the best small towns in New York and a hot spot for tubing, kayaking, and canoeing. —Perri Ormont Blumberg, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024

On Friday, tourism hot spot Chiang Mai was the world’s most polluted city as toxic smog brought by seasonal agricultural burning blanketed the northern city. —Helen Regan, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024

For Chodorow, whose father is the restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, known for the bygone hot spots Asia de Cuba and China Grill, getting a table at Rao’s is fairly easy. —Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024

Glee's Jayma Mays returned seven seasons later as the only worthwhile woman Ted meets at a swanky hot spot with Robin and Barney. —Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024

Indianapolis is about to once again become a tourism hot spot, as thousands of people are expected to descend upon the Circle City to see a total solar eclipse on April 8. —The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024

Mingle with local chefs, bar owners, and other industry folk over a nightcap at Cavalier, a natural wine and cocktail hot spot just off the Canal Saint-Martin. —Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024

As a result, wild turkeys have flocked to cities across the United States and are regular fixtures in places like New York City, Madison, and Berkeley, to name a few turkey hot spots. —Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Kids Definition

hot spot

noun

1

: a place of more than normal interest, activity, or popularity

surfing hot spots

2

: a place where hot magma from the earth's interior rises through the mantle and crust to form a volcanic feature

3

: an area of political, military, or civil unrest usually considered dangerous

4

: a place where a wireless Internet connection is available

Medical Definition

hot spot

noun

variants also hotspot

ˈhät-ˌspät 

1

: a patch of painful moist inflamed skin on a domestic animal and especially a dog that starts as a response to a skin irritant (as an allergen or an insect or tick bite), that is rapidly worsened by scratching, chewing, or licking the affected area, and that may become seriously infected if not promptly cleaned and medicated

2

: a place or area (as a city or region of a country) where there is an elevated prevalence or an increased transmission risk of a disease (as cholera, diabetes, or malaria)

3

: a site in genetic material (as DNA or a chromosome) having a high frequency of mutation or recombination