hotdog

Other forms: hotdogs

A hotdog is a "frankfurter," a hunk of meat in a bun. Get one at the hotdog stand at a baseball game and slather it with ketchup and mustard for an all-American meal.

The name "frankfurter" illustrates the hotdog’s German heritage — the original came from Frankfurt, Germany, based on a similar pork sausage. There was a suspicion in the 1800s that they were made from dog meat, which is where hotdog came from. If someone calls you a hotdog, they mean you're a daredevil or a risk-taker. Also, you can say “hotdog!” to express delight, kind of like “woohoo!” Hotdog!

Definitions of hotdog

1. noun

   a frankfurter served hot on a bun
   synonyms: hot dog, red hot

   types:

   chili dog

   a hotdog with chili con carne on it

   type of:

   sandwich

   two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them
2. noun

   a smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll
   synonyms: dog, frank, frankfurter, hot dog, weenie, wiener, wienerwurst

   types:

   Vienna sausage

   short slender frankfurter usually with ends cut off

   type of:

   sausage

   highly seasoned minced meat stuffed in casings
3. noun

   someone who performs dangerous stunts to attract attention to himself
   synonyms: hot dog

   type of:

   exhibitionist, show-off, showboat

   someone who deliberately behaves in such a way as to attract attention