Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for hot-wire

hot-wire

[ verb hot-wahyuhr; adjective hot-wahyuhr ]

verb (used with object)

, hot-wired, hot-wir·ing.
  1. Slang. to start the engine of (a motor vehicle) by short-circuiting the ignition.


adjective

  1. Electricity, Engineering. depending for its operation on the lengthening or increasing resistance of a wire when it is heated:

    hot-wire anemometer; hot-wire microphone.

hot-wire

verb

  1. slang.
    tr to start the engine of (a motor vehicle) by bypassing the ignition switch
“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


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of hot-wire1

First recorded in 1950–55
Discover More

Example Sentences

The instructors taught me how to pick locks, hot-wire cars and get over barbed wire fences.

The thin screaming came again, like a hot wire drawn down the gelid morning.

This is made from a deer skin prepared to resemble parchment, stretched on a hoop and perforated full of holes with a hot wire.

It was as if every nerve in their bodies had turned into white-hot wire, and was searing through their flesh.

At one time eight men burned spots on their faces and hands with hot wire, and then sprinkled the spots with black pepper.

These were made of deer skins in the state of parchment, stretched over a hoop and perforated with a hot wire.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


hot wellhot-wire anemometer