hot shot

US: (hot′ shot′ for 1; hot′ shot′ for 2)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

hot shot  (hot′ shot′ for 1; hot′ shot′ for 2), 

1. Military incandescent shot fired to set enemy ships or buildings on fire.
2. hotshot (defs. 4, 6).

• 1595–1605

hot•shot  (hot′shot′), [Slang.]
adj. 

1. Slang Terms highly successful and aggressive:
   a hotshot lawyer; a hotshot account exec.
2. Slang Terms displaying skill flamboyantly:
   a hotshot ballplayer.
3. Slang Terms, Rail Transport moving, going, or operating without a stop;
   fast:
   a hotshot express.

n. 

4. Slang Terms an impressively successful or skillful and often vain person.
5. Slang Terms, Rail Transport [Railroads.] an express freight train.
6. a firefighter.

Also, hot shot (for defs. 4, 6).

• hot + shot¹ 1595–1605