hot dog

¹ American  

[hot dawg, hot dawg] / ˈhɒt ˌdɔg, ˈhɒt ˈdɔg /

noun

1. a frankfurter.

2. a sandwich consisting of a frankfurter in a split roll, usually eaten with mustard, sauerkraut, or relish.

3. Informal. Also hotdog, hot dogger, hotdogger, hot-dogger

   1. a person who performs complex, showy, and sometimes dangerous maneuvers, especially in surfing or skiing.

   2. a show-off, especially in sports.

---

interjection

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

hot-dog ² American  

[hot-dawg, -dog] / ˈhɒtˌdɔg, -ˌdɒg /

Or hotdog

verb (used without object)

hot-dogged, hot-dogging

1. to perform unusual or very intricate maneuvers in a sport, especially surfing or skiing.

2. to perform in a recklessly or flamboyantly skillful manner, as in a sport or athletic activity; show off.

---

adjective

1. skillful or excellent, as in sports performance.

2. of, indicating, or for a type of sports activity, especially surfing or skiing, in which intricate and potentially dangerous stunts are performed.

3. intended or done to draw attention; showy or sensational.

hot dog ¹ British  

noun

1. a person who performs showy acrobatic manoeuvres when skiing or surfing

---

verb

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

hot dog ² British  

noun

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

---

hot dog Idioms  

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]

---

Etymology

Origin of hot dog¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Origin of hot-dog²

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Her son, Brian Arias Garay, went missing on Feb. 6, 2018, en route to his job as a vendor at a hot dog and hamburger stand.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

To some in Illinois, letting the storied team leave for Indiana might look like a sin worse than putting ketchup on a Chicago hot dog.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

There’s not even an offer of a free Costco signature hot dog.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

“Show you care. Sit at the local hot dog joint or diner, talk to people about bread-and-butter issues they care about. Talk about inflation, talk about health care, talk about clean drinking water.”

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

“Why do you think the poet is telling us about a hot dog she ate when she was a kid?”

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• frankfurter
• sausage