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
This West Allis Kwik Trip location has been a hot spot for lottery wins in 2024.
—
Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2024
Michigan has been a hot spot of U.S. politics as one of the swing states that shifted right and delivered a narrow victory for President-elect Donald Trump.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
The three forces make this a hot spot of potential disclosure risk—new reporting standards and regulations, entirely new processes and investors gaining easy access to the reported data.
—Martha Amram, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
As previously reported by The Times, industry insiders and experts overwhelmingly agree that relatively weak incentives are the main reason California is losing significant ground to Georgia, New York, Canada, the United Kingdom and other filming hot spots around the world.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hot spot 
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Adrienne Davis, Journal Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2024
Michigan has been a hot spot of U.S. politics as one of the swing states that shifted right and delivered a narrow victory for President-elect Donald Trump.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
The three forces make this a hot spot of potential disclosure risk—new reporting standards and regulations, entirely new processes and investors gaining easy access to the reported data.
—Martha Amram, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
As previously reported by The Times, industry insiders and experts overwhelmingly agree that relatively weak incentives are the main reason California is losing significant ground to Georgia, New York, Canada, the United Kingdom and other filming hot spots around the world.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hot spot
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 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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