hot spot

¹ American  

[hot-spot] / ˈhɒtˌspɒt /

Or hotspot

noun

1. 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.

2. Informal. any area or place of known danger, intrigue, dissension, or instability.

3. Informal. a nightclub.

4. Photography. an area of a negative or print revealing excessive light on that part of the subject.

5. a section of forest or woods where fires frequently occur.

6. an area hotter than the surrounding surface, as on the shell of a furnace.

7. 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.

8. Physics. an area of abnormally high radioactivity.

9. 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.

10. Genetics. a chromosome site or a section of DNA having a high frequency of mutation or recombination.

11. 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.

---

hot-spot ² American  

[hot-spot] / ˈhɒtˌspɒt /

verb (used with object)

hot-spotted, hot-spotting

1. to stop (a forest fire) at a hot spot.

---

hot spot British  

noun

1. an area of potential violence or political unrest

2. a lively nightclub or other place of entertainment

3. an area of great activity of a specific type

   the world's economic hot spots

4. 1. any local area of high temperature in a part of an engine, etc

   2. part of the inlet manifold of a paraffin engine that is heated by exhaust gases to vaporize the fuel

5. 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

6. med

   1. 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

   2. a similar area that generates an abnormal amount of heat, as revealed by thermography

7. genetics a part of a chromosome that has a tendency for mutation or recombination

---

hot spot Scientific  

1. 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.

2. See more at tectonic boundary

---

hot spot Cultural  

1. A place deep within the Earth where hot magma rises to just underneath the surface, creating a bulge and volcanic activity (see volcano). The chain of Hawaiian Islands (see Hawaii) is thought to have been created by the movement of a tectonic plate over a hot spot.

---

Etymology

Origin of hot spot¹

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

Origin of hot-spot²

First recorded in 1950–55; v. use of hot spot

Example Sentences

In Texas, which has become a hot spot for data-center development, the grid operator known as Ercot approved a $33 billion transmission plan to handle the expected explosion in electricity demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

He recalled one hot spot he saw at about 10 a.m., which crews hit with water.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

In the second half of the Obama era, it was La Diplomate, the trendy French restaurant that became a hot spot after its 2013 opening.

From Slate • Mar. 10, 2026

The war has not spared the rich countries of the Gulf, formerly seen as a tourist hot spot and rare Middle East safe haven.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

Eric bent down and blew softly again till the patch was bright Sam poked the piece of tinder wood into the hot spot, then a branch.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding