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

Six-foot predatory lizards normally found along the Nile River in Africa have set up shop in South Florida — and Palm Beach County canals are a hot spot. —Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 3 May 2025

Are there seaweed hot spots in Miami? While Florida might see blooms of seaweed this season, that doesn’t mean all beaches will be full of it through October. —Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2025

The California Department of Public Health said a person would need to stand on a hot spot for 20 hours to be exposed to the same level of radiation from a single dental x-ray. —Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025

That northwest Meridian area is expected to be a development hot spot in coming years, especially with the highway extension. —Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Rhymes for hot spot

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

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

a

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

b

: a place where a disease is especially prevalent

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