hotline

[ hot-lahyn ]

/ ˈhɒtˌlaɪn /

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noun

Also hot line . a direct telecommunications link enabling immediate communication between heads of state in an international crisis: the hotline between Washington and Moscow.

Also hot line . a telephone service enabling people to talk confidentially with someone about a personal problem or crisis: The protective services system is anchored by a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week emergency hotline.

Also hot line . a telephone line providing customers or clients with direct access to a company or professional service: If you need assistance, feel free to chat with us through our online auto parts website or give our hotline a call.

Chiefly Canadian. a radio program to which listeners can phone in comments or questions: The radio hotline features advice and insight from a range of bank spokespeople during tax season.

adjective

Chiefly Canadian. of or relating to a radio program to which listeners can phone in comments or questions.

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Origin of hotline

First recorded in 1950–55; hot + line¹

Words nearby hotline

Hotien, hot Jupiter, hotkey, hot lick, hot light, hotline, hotliner, hotlink, hot mess, hot metal, hot mic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hotline in a sentence

A Scranton news station has a hotline where people call in with random comments and then it airs them.
This week in TikTok: How does TikTok know I have ADHD?|Rebecca Jennings|February 9, 2021|Vox
The recommended method is to visit a local hospital website or call a hotline.
People are fed up with broken vaccine appointment tools — so they’re building their own|Tanya Basu|February 1, 2021|MIT Technology Review
For people without computers, some local health authorities are offering phone hotlines to schedule vaccine appointments.
A big hurdle for older Americans trying to get vaccinated: Using the internet|Rebecca Heilweil|January 27, 2021|Vox
Eligible residents must log on to a city website or call a hotline to reserve an appointment — and all available spots are generally snagged within minutes.
As D.C. region sets record for coronavirus deaths, Hogan expands vaccine access in Maryland|Erin Cox, Julie Zauzmer, Meagan Flynn|January 26, 2021|Washington Post

When the pandemic closed schools in the spring, the district set up a hotline for students, teachers and parents who were having trouble at home and needed help.
Partly hidden by isolation, many of the nation’s schoolchildren struggle with mental health|Donna St. George, Valerie Strauss|January 21, 2021|Washington Post
Every shift at LLGS, a counseling hotline which celebrated its 40th birthday earlier this year, was three hours long.
Sex, Suicide, and Homework: The Secret World of the Telephone Hotline|Tim Teeman|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
The web page for that episode does include a link to a suicide hotline number.
The Mommy Blogger Who Tried to Kill Her Autistic Daughter Talks to Dr. Phil|Elizabeth Picciuto|October 1, 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

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with hotline

hot line

A telephone line that gives quick and direct access to a source of information or help. For example, Our state has an AIDS hot line in every county. This term was originally (and is still) used for a direct link between heads of government for use during a crisis, but was quickly extended to wider applications. [1950s]