Word of the Day: Hot

hot / hät

adjective

1. having high temperature

Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.

William Butler Yeats, 1865-1939

2. capable of giving the sensation of heat or burning, scalding, etc.

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.

Buddha, c.563/480-c.483/400 BCE

3. giving off heat exceeding that of a normal temperature, especially in people

Sometimes a person’s skin feels hot to the touch due to illness.

4.      marked by fierceness

The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o’er a cold decree.

From ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare, 1564-1616

5.  fresh

This is not news, hot off the presses: it happened well over a decade ago.

From ‘Bad Science’ by Ben Goldacre, 1974-

6. very bright

My house really is purple and yellow and hot pink and light green and orange.

Lisa Frank, 1955-

7. giving off heat to an uncomfortable degree

There are so many cute vintage dresses made out of synthetics from the ‘60s and ‘70s – but they’re so itchy and hot.

Zooey Deschanel, 1980-

8. unusually favorable

Beware the person who is on a hot streak.

James Cook, 1728-1779

9.  of a wire, energized with high voltage

The ground wire is connected to the metal parts within an appliance as a safety feature, in case the hot and neutral wires somehow come in contact with metal parts.

10.  very good; well

I’m always trying to do as many different things as I can, just so when one is not doing so hot, maybe the other is still there.

Chris Stapleton, 1978-

11. spicy

The smallest pepper is hottest.

Malawian Proverb

12.  in demand

Sincerity and specificity are going to be the hot commodities in music.

Eric Lewis, 1973-

adverb

1. exceedingly warmly

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade.

From ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens, 1812-1870

2. while at a high temperature

Instead of trying to guess what the weather may be, why not prepare a bowl of soup that’s full of hearty fall foods and can be served both hot and cold?

Kirsten Yovino, ?-