hot dog
1 Americannoun
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a frankfurter.
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a sandwich consisting of a frankfurter in a split roll, usually eaten with mustard, sauerkraut, or relish.
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Informal. Also hotdog, hot dogger, hotdogger, hot-dogger
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a person who performs complex, showy, and sometimes dangerous maneuvers, especially in surfing or skiing.
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a show-off, especially in sports.
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interjection
verb (used without object)
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to perform unusual or very intricate maneuvers in a sport, especially surfing or skiing.
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to perform in a recklessly or flamboyantly skillful manner, as in a sport or athletic activity; show off.
adjective
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skillful or excellent, as in sports performance.
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of, indicating, or for a type of sports activity, especially surfing or skiing, in which intricate and potentially dangerous stunts are performed.
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intended or done to draw attention; showy or sensational.
noun
verb
noun
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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]
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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]
Etymology
Origin of hot dog1
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900
Origin of hot-dog2
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Travelers hunt for regional souvenirs, soothe their homesickness and investigate a burning question: Is the hot dog different?
In the parking lot outside Brother’s Keeper, hamburgers and hot dogs sizzled on the grill, and rice and beans cooked in big pots over a fire pit built with cinder blocks.
From Literature
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In past professional lives, he has been a snowmobile guide, hot dog vendor, dog walker, wilderness trip leader, and bike courier.
We didn’t even have hot dogs and hamburgers at lunch—we had Fire Dogs and Smokey Burgers.
From Literature
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She said the sweeps prompted two vendors selling hot dogs and fruit to flee.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.