hotspur

[ hot-spur ]

/ ˈhɒtˌspɜr /

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noun

an impetuous or reckless person; a hothead.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Origin of hotspur

1425–75; late Middle English; after Sir Henry Percy, to whom it was applied as a nickname

OTHER WORDS FROM hotspur

hotspurred, adjective

Words nearby hotspur

hot-short, hotshot, hot spot, hot spring, Hot Springs, hotspur, hot-stove league, hot stuff, hot-swappable, hot swapping, hot switch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use hotspur in a sentence

To welcome the English Premier League to NBC, the former SNL star took over as coach of Tottenham Hotspur.
The Other Mumford & Sons, Shark Week Insanity & More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|August 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Or André Villas Boas, the Portuguese coach of British club Tottenham Hotspur, talking about a game against Manchester United.
Barroso: The Worst of Euro Crisis Is Over|Daniel Gross|September 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Hotspur:  Why, so can I, or so can any man;  But will they come when you do call for them?
The Contraception Fight|David Frum|February 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Robertson was a veritable Hotspur and upset for a time the serenity of our meetings.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow

How grand and manly looked her Prince on his high mount; yet she saw at a glance that he did not ride Hotspur.
Maid Sally|Harriet A. Cheever
Hotspur, after a mad gallop, had raced back riderless to the stables, stirrups dangling and saddle awry.
Maid Sally|Harriet A. Cheever
One condition she insisted on, however, namely, that Arthur should be her Hotspur.
Evenings at Donaldson Manor|Maria J. McIntosh
Shakespeare was so far adherent to fact that Hotspur actually lived at Warkworth Castle.
The Rivers of Great Britain: Rivers of the East Coast|Various

British Dictionary definitions for hotspur (1 of 2)

hotspur

/ (ˈhɒtˌspɜː) /

noun

an impetuous or fiery person

Word Origin for hotspur

C15: from Hotspur, nickname of Sir Henry Percy

British Dictionary definitions for hotspur (2 of 2)

Hotspur

/ (ˈhɒtˌspɜː) /

noun

Harry Hotspur the nickname of Sir Henry PercySee Percy

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