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
These hot spots may not be felt from the bottle but have the potential to seriously scald or burn a baby's mouth.
—
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Without a settlement in sight, Paramount Global is looking to dismiss President Trump’s lawsuit against its CBS News unit from a federal court in Texas, which has become a hot spot for legal battles advancing conservative legal causes.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025
In 2024, more than 140 state troopers were deployed to at least 17 communities considered among the state’s traditional Spring Break hot spots.
—News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025
No, this isn’t Detroit-style pizza (that’s tomorrow), but a hot spot for crispy, thin-crust East Coast–style pizzas.
—Sarah Bence, AFAR Media, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hot spot
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Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
Without a settlement in sight, Paramount Global is looking to dismiss President Trump’s lawsuit against its CBS News unit from a federal court in Texas, which has become a hot spot for legal battles advancing conservative legal causes.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2025
In 2024, more than 140 state troopers were deployed to at least 17 communities considered among the state’s traditional Spring Break hot spots.
—News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025
No, this isn’t Detroit-style pizza (that’s tomorrow), but a hot spot for crispy, thin-crust East Coast–style pizzas.
—Sarah Bence, AFAR Media, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hot spot
Cite this Entry
“Hot spot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20spot. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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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