Definition of "hot line" []

• A direct and immediate telephone linkup, especially between heads of government, as for use in a crisis. (noun)
• A telephone line that gives quick and direct access to a source of information or help: "This 24-hour hot line has . . . volunteers on duty to talk to callers about personal problems” ( New York). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.