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definitions

hot-dog

or hot·dog

[hot-dawg, -dog]Informal.
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hot-dog ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), hot-dogged, hot-dog·ging.

to perform unusual or very intricate maneuvers in a sport, especially surfing or skiing.
to perform in a recklessly or flamboyantly skillful manner, as in a sport or athletic activity; show off.

adjective

skillful or excellent, as in sports performance.
of, indicating, or for a type of sports activity, especially surfing or skiing, in which intricate and potentially dangerous stunts are performed.
intended or done to draw attention; showy or sensational.

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RELATED WORDS

dominant, authoritative, leading, persuasive, famous, important, significant, strong, prominent, sausage, frankfurter, affecting, controlling, efficacious, forcible, governing, impressive, inspiring, instrumental, meaningful

hot dog

[noun hot dawg; interjection hot dawg]

noun

a frankfurter.
a sandwich consisting of a frankfurter in a split roll, usually eaten with mustard, sauerkraut, or relish.
Also hot·dog, hot dogger, hot·dog·ger, hot-dog·ger. Informal.
  1. a person who performs complex, showy, and sometimes dangerous maneuvers, especially in surfing or skiing.
  2. a show-off, especially in sports.

interjection

Informal. (used to express great joy or delight.)

Origin of hot dog

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hot-dog

Contemporary Examples of hot-dog

Historical Examples of hot-dog

  • It happened pretty fast and like I say, I just went in to eat a hot-dog for lunch and I wasn't expecting any of this.

    Warren Commission (7 of 26): Hearings Vol. VII (of 15)

    The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

  • Hot-dog sandwiches and long green pickles and ginger ale, but you have to drink out of the bottles.

    The Camp Fire Girls on a Yacht

    Margaret Love Sanderson

  • The Assistant Secretary is here to discuss the hot-dog concession with a local bigwig.

    The Golden Skull

    John Blaine

  • Unheard were the blaring of bands, and the raucous cry of the "Hot-Dog man," and the riot and roar of the rabble.

    Fifth Avenue

    Arthur Bartlett Maurice

  • On get-away day the program boy bawls his loudest and the hot-dog purveyor pushes his fragrant wares with the utmost energy.

    Old Man Curry

    Charles E. (Charles Emmett) Van Loan

British Dictionary definitions for hot-dog

hot dog

1

noun

a sausage, esp a frankfurter, served hot in a long roll split lengthways

Word Origin for hot dog

C20: from the supposed resemblance of the sausage to a dachshund

hot dog

2

noun

mainly US a person who performs showy acrobatic manoeuvres when skiing or surfing

verb hot-dog, -dogs, -dogging or -dogged

(intr) to perform a series of manoeuvres in skiing, surfing, etc, esp in a showy manner

Word Origin for hot dog

C20: from US hot dog!, exclamation of pleasure, approval, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for hot-dog

hot dog

also hotdog, "sausage on a split roll," c.1890, popularized by cartoonist T.A. Dorgan. It is said to echo a 19c. suspicion (occasionally justified) that sausages contained dog meat. Meaning "someone particularly skilled or excellent" (with overtones of showing off) is from 1896. Connection between the two senses, if any, is unclear. Hot dog! as an exclamation of approval was in use by 1906.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with hot-dog

hot dog

1

A person who performs showy, often dangerous stunts, especially but not exclusively in sports; also, a showoff. For example, He was a shameless hot dog on the tennis court, smashing every ball, or She was a hot dog behind the wheel, screeching her wheels at every turn. The relation of this term to the edible hot dog is unknown. [Colloquial; c. 1900]

2

Also, hot diggety dog; hot diggety. An interjection expressing delight or enthusiasm, as in Hot dog! What a great gift, or Hot diggety! We got the best concert tickets after all. [Slang; c. 1900]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.