hot shot

noun

Round shot that has been heated to a glow before firing in order to set wooden enemy ships afire.

“After being struck by three hot shots from the coastal fort, the attacking ship of the line burned uncontrollably until the flames reached her powder magazine and she blew up.”

Similar
heated shot

Meanings

nounhot shot (plural hot shots)

plural hot shots

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of hotshot.
  2. historicalgovernmentRound shot that has been heated to a glow before firing in order to set wooden enemy ships afire.

    After being struck by three hot shots from the coastal fort, the attacking ship of the line burned uncontrollably until the flames reached her powder magazine and she blew up.

    Synonyms: heated shot

  3. A lethal injection of heroin or another opiate.

    “You guys are being babies.” “Babies.” “Oh, we're being babies, Mac? Why don't you go work for your dad all day?” “My dad's a meth dealer.” “[Mock Crying] Oh, oh, no! My daddy's in prison!” “My daddy used to give hot shots to prostitutes. Feel sorry for me!”

    2006 July 6, Charlie Day & Glenn Howerton & Rob McElhenney, “Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare” (0:21 from the start), in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, season 2, episode 3, spoken by Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton)

Synonyms & antonyms

nounRound shot that has been heated to a glow before firing in order to set wooden enemy ships afire.

Similar
heated shot
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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