hot line

A form of hotline — A telephone line that is always staffed and able to give immediate assistance.

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Meanings

nounhot line (plural hot lines)

plural hot lines

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of hotline.
    1 more example

    Later on, when he had loosened up considerably, he told an amusing story that he said took place during a Sino-Soviet border flare-up in 1969. "We had a hot line between the Soviet Union and ourselves then," he said, "but it had already become cold because the Kremlin never used it. At the time of the Chen Pao border incident, however, Kosygin picked it up and called us. When our operator answered, he said, 'This is Premier Kosygin. I would like to speak to Chairman Mao.' The operator, completely on his own, said, 'You are a revisionist, and therefore I will not connect you.' So Kosygin said, 'Well, if you will not try to reach the Chairman, will you please connect me with Prime Minister Chou.' But the operator gave the same unauthorized reply and broke the connection."

    1978, Richard Nixon, RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 568

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna telephone line that provides direct and prompt information or advice to the caller in relation to a specific subject

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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

hot line. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hot%20line

MLA

“hot line.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hot%20line. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hot line,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hot%20line.

Source: hot line on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.