Meanings
plural hot lines
- 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
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
hot line. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hot%20line
“hot line.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hot%20line. Accessed November 4, 2026.
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.