a country or region where dangerous or difficult political situations exist or may erupt, especially where a war, revolution, or a belligerent attitude toward other countries exists or may develop.
In the 1960s, Vietnam became a hot spot.
Informal. any area or place of known danger, intrigue, dissension, or instability.
Informal. a nightclub.
Photography. an area of a negative or print revealing excessive light on that part of the subject.
a section of forest or woods where fires frequently occur.
an area hotter than the surrounding surface, as on the shell of a furnace.
Digital Technology. a place where users of portable computers or mobile devices can get wireless broadband access to the internet or another network.
how to find free Wi-Fi hot spots.
Physics. an area of abnormally high radioactivity.
Geology. a region of molten rock below and within the lithosphere that persists long enough to leave a record of uplift and volcanic activity at the earth's surface.
Genetics. a chromosome site or a section of DNA having a high frequency of mutation or recombination.
Veterinary Pathology. a moist, raw sore on the skin of a dog or cat caused by constant licking of an irritation from an allergic reaction, tangled coat, fleas, etc.
an area of potential violence or political unrest
a lively nightclub or other place of entertainment
an area of great activity of a specific type
the world's economic hot spots
any local area of high temperature in a part of an engine, etc
part of the inlet manifold of a paraffin engine that is heated by exhaust gases to vaporize the fuel
computing a place where wireless internet, esp broadband, services are provided to users of portable computers through a wireless local area network, such as in an airport, railway station, or library
med
a small area on the surface of or within a body with an exceptionally high concentration of radioactivity or of some chemical or mineral considered harmful
a similar area that generates an abnormal amount of heat, as revealed by thermography
genetics a part of a chromosome that has a tendency for mutation or recombination
A volcanic area that forms as a tectonic plate moves over a point heated from deep within the Earth's mantle. The source of the heat is thought to be the decay of radioactive elements. The Hawaiian Islands formed as a series of hot spots.
See more at tectonic boundary
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30
First recorded in 1950–55; v. use of hot spot
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Semiconductor stocks — an area of the market that’s already volatile after their tremendous surge this year amid the race to build out AI infrastructure — have been one hot spot for leveraged ETFs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
More locations could reach 34C or 35C in the coming days, with the hot spot likely to be in southern England.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Starting on May 19, detainees launched a labor and hunger strike within Delaney Hall, which quickly became a hot spot for anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests and organizing.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
Topanga Creek, a biodiversity hot spot, is home to their last known population in the mountains that stretch from the Hollywood Hills to Point Mugu in Ventura County.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
They were monkeys from Room F, the original hot spot of the outbreak, some of monkeys that had been sacrificed by Dan Dalgard.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
In a separate meeting in Chengdu, Xi met with Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye and said China is open to strengthen communication and collaboration with Burundi on major international affairs, especially hot-spot issues in Africa.
From Reuters ● Jul. 28, 2023
Ms Less previously voiced fears the store could "become a hot-spot for late night disturbances and anti-social behaviour".
From BBC ● May 16, 2023
“But he was right there. Every time I went to that parking lot in that area, that hot-spot area in the northern end where he was, I would have this intuitive experience.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2023
On Friday, Johns Hopkins did its final update to its free coronavirus dashboard and hot-spot map with the death count standing at more than 6.8 million worldwide.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 10, 2023
The "marginal deterrent effect" — the minimal difference such hot-spot policing purportedly made in the calculations of would-be criminals — was enough to keep most critics quiet.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
