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

“I remember specifically being there, memories of the nail salon chemicals. There was a record shop and a hot dog on a stick,” says Mercado of the mall, which opened in 1977.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

To some in Illinois, letting the storied team leave for Indiana might look like a sin worse than putting ketchup on a Chicago hot dog.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

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

We figure out it happened a long time ago, because it costs the girl fifty cents for a hot dog, fries, and a soda.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• frankfurter
• sausage