hotline

[ hot-lahyn ]

/ ˈhɒtˌlaɪn /

noun

adjective

Chiefly Canadian. of or relating to a radio program that receives telephone calls from listeners on the air.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of hotline

First recorded in 1950–55; hot + line¹

Words nearby hotline

hotheaded, hothouse, hothouse lamb, hotien, hotkey, hotline, hotliner, hotlink, hotplate, hotpot, hots

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for hotline

Hotline shows you something very moving about watching a teacher patiently explaining a math problem down the phone.
Sex, Suicide, and Homework: The Secret World of the Telephone Hotline|Tim Teeman|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Roberta Valente, a consultant who works with the Hotline, said laws are struggling to keep up with the changing digital landscape.
Digital Harassment Is the New Means of Domestic Abuse|Keli Goff|February 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His hotline settles the question about where shame belongs in religious communities.
Rebel Rabbi Exposes Child Molesters|Moral Courage|January 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They have to rely on a hotline to accept calls with tips or claims from other countries.
The Mysterious Case of Maria, Greece’s Fake Roma Child|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Calls immediately began increasing at the hotline—and Villegas realized the power of awareness.
Mother of Slain UVA Student Fights Domestic Violence|Caroline Linton|February 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for hotline

hotline

/ (ˈhɒtˌlaɪn) /

noun

a direct telephone, teletype, or other communications link between heads of government, for emergency use

any such direct line kept for urgent use

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