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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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]

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Etymology

Origin of hot dog¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Origin of hot-dog²

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

You could fit them in a minor-league ballpark with room for the hot dog vendors.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

He has visited the hot dog joints and showed up time and again during natural disasters, including an historic flood that devastated much of Eastern Kentucky in 2022.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

Cover your ears, look away, or grab a hot dog — after all, not every artist is for everyone, and complaining won’t change that.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

Vance is asked to settle a debate as to whether a hot dog can be considered a sandwich.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2025

Nothing except for a tweet about a hot dog eating contest with some dude named Arthur and a demand for a tiebreaker.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Related Words

• frankfurter
• sausage