hot spot

noun

variants or less commonly hotspot
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 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 The two biggest hot spots were southern Arizona and the Del Rio area around Eagle Pass, Tex. Many of the migrants who streamed into Texas were Venezuelans riding freight trains north to Eagle Pass, a major rail crossing into the United States. Nick Miroff, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Maybe one day Curly’s can be the dessert hot spot for celebrities in Fort Worth like Joe T. Garcia’s is for dinner service. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 The main hot spots were in the Bering Sea and along the Pacific coast of North America. Heather Welch, The Conversation, 6 Mar. 2024 Detective Inspector Deehan, noting both the freshness of the body and its geographic location — near the border of County Tyrone, a sectarian hot spot during the Troubles — said investigators consulted with the commission examining cases of the Disappeared when the body was first discovered. Ali Watkins, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Any initial hot spot or concentration of energy, for instance, spreads out until no further spreading is possible. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 And Kenya, which in the late twentieth century saw a limited number of swarms, has since become one of the world’s hot spots. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hot spot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 3a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot spot was in 1887

Dictionary Entries Near hot spot

Cite this Entry

“Hot spot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20spot. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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
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

More from Merriam-Webster on hot spot

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