hotline

[ hot-lahyn ]

noun

1. Also hot line. a direct telecommunications link enabling immediate communication between heads of state in an international crisis:

   the hotline between Washington and Moscow.

2. Also hot line. a telephone service enabling people to talk confidentially with someone about a personal problem or crisis:

   The protective services system is anchored by a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week emergency hotline.

3. Also hot line. a telephone line providing customers or clients with direct access to a company or professional service:

   If you need assistance, feel free to chat with us through our online auto parts website or give our hotline a call.

4. Chiefly Canadian. a radio program to which listeners can phone in comments or questions:

   The radio hotline features advice and insight from a range of bank spokespeople during tax season.

adjective

1. Chiefly Canadian. of or relating to a radio program to which listeners can phone in comments or questions.

hotline

/ ˈhɒtˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a direct telephone, teletype, or other communications link between heads of government, for emergency use
2. any such direct line kept for urgent use

Word History and Origins

Origin of hotline¹

First recorded in 1950–55; hot + line ¹

Example Sentences

A Scranton news station has a hotline where people call in with random comments and then it airs them.

From Vox

The recommended method is to visit a local hospital website or call a hotline.

From MIT Technology Review

For people without computers, some local health authorities are offering phone hotlines to schedule vaccine appointments.

From Vox

Eligible residents must log on to a city website or call a hotline to reserve an appointment — and all available spots are generally snagged within minutes.

From Washington Post

When the pandemic closed schools in the spring, the district set up a hotline for students, teachers and parents who were having trouble at home and needed help.

From Washington Post

Every shift at LLGS, a counseling hotline which celebrated its 40th birthday earlier this year, was three hours long.

From The Daily Beast

Hotline shows you something very moving about watching a teacher patiently explaining a math problem down the phone.

From The Daily Beast

The web page for that episode does include a link to a suicide hotline number.

From The Daily Beast

Roberta Valente, a consultant who works with the Hotline, said laws are struggling to keep up with the changing digital landscape.

From The Daily Beast

His hotline settles the question about where shame belongs in religious communities.

From The Daily Beast