noun
hotline
noun
1
A dedicated phone line staffed to give immediate help or advice.
"The charity runs a 24-hour hotline for people in crisis."
"Call the customer hotline if the app keeps crashing."
2
A direct emergency phone link between heads of state or top officials.
"The two leaders set up a hotline to avoid a nuclear misunderstanding."
How to Use Hotline
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA phone number that connects you straight to urgent help, or a direct emergency link between leaders.
Common pairings
call the hotline
crisis hotline
a hotline between
Word Forms
hotlined past tense, hotlines plural, hotlines singular
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The charity runs a 24-hour _____ for people in crisis.
Etymology
From hot + line.