- hot
-
I. adjective
(hotter; hottest)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English hāt; akin to Old High German heiz hot, Lithuanian kaisti to get hot
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. having a relatively high temperature
b. capable of giving a sensation of heat or of burning, searing, or scalding
c. having heat in a degree exceeding normal body heat
2.
a. violent, stormy <a hot temper> <a hot battle>; also angry <got hot about the remark> b. (1) sexually excited or receptive (2) sexy c. eager, zealous <hot for reform> d. of jazz emotionally exciting and marked by strong rhythms and free melodic improvisations 3. having or causing the sensation of an uncomfortable degree of body heat <hot and tired> <it's hot in here> 4. a. newly made ; fresh <a hot scent> <hot off the press> b. close to something sought <hot on the trail> 5. a. suggestive of heat or of burning or glowing objects <hot colors> b. pungent, peppery 6. a. of intense and immediate interest <some hot gossip> b. unusually lucky or favorable <on a hot streak> c. temporarily capable of unusual performance (as in a sport) d. currently popular or in demand <a hot commodity> e. very good <a hot idea> <not feeling too hot> f. absurd, unbelievable <wants to fight the champ? that's a hot one> 7. a. electrically energized especially with high voltage b. radioactive; also dealing with radioactive material c. of an atom or molecule being in an excited state 8. a. recently and illegally obtained <hot jewels> b. wanted by the police; also unsafe for a fugitive 9. fast <a hot new fighter plane> <a hot lap around the track> • hotness noun • hottish adjective II. adverb Date: before 12th century 1. hotly 2. fast, quickly III. noun Date: 13th century 1. heat 1d(1) <the hot of the day> 2. one that is hot (as a hot meal or a horse just after a workout) 3. plural strong sexual desire — used with the IV. transitive verb (hotted; hotting) Date: 1561 chiefly Southern, southern Midland, & British heat, warm — usually used with up
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
