Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hot-wire

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.36 in modern English

Syllables: hot-wire
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To wire, especially to a power supply, using a makeshift electrical connection.

Informal; Transitive verb

verb

In particular, to start (an automobile engine) by bypassing the ignition key wiring, especially in order to steal the vehicle.

Informal; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"I bypassed the switch and hot-wired the circuit board to the power supply."
"Never broke into a car, never hotwired a car. Never broke into a truck. 'I shall not cause harm to any vehicle nor the personal contents thereof, nor through inaction let the personal contents thereof come to harm' It's what I call the Repo Code, kid!"
"His attitude grew worse and his crimes escalated: he broke into garages in his neighborhood, he hot-wired cars, and his punches grew harder."

Etymology

From hot + wire, with hot referring to electrical current.

Usage

Inflected Forms

hot-wires (present, singular) hot-wiring (participle, present) hot-wired (participle, past) hot-wired (past) hotwire (alternative)

Questions

What does hot-wire mean?: To wire, especially to a power supply, using a makeshift electrical connection.
Where does hot-wire come from?: From hot + wire, with hot referring to electrical current.

How to pronounce hot-wire

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