hot rod

¹

noun

Slang.

1. an automobile specially built or altered for fast acceleration and increased speed.

hot-rod

²

[hot-rod]

verb (used without object)

hot-rodded, hot-rodding 

1. to drive a hot rod.

2. to drive very fast.

verb (used with object)

hot-rodded, hot-rodding 

1. to drive (a vehicle) very fast.

2. to adapt (a vehicle or its engine) for increased speed.

hot rod

noun

1. a car with an engine that has been radically modified to produce increased power

Word History and Origins

Origin of hot rod¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Origin of hot rod²

First recorded in 1945–50

Idioms and Phrases

An automobile modified to increase its speed and acceleration, as in Kids love to tinker with cars and try to convert them into hot rods. [Mid-1900s] Also see hopped up.

Related Words

• stock car