HOT MIC Definition & Meaning

hot mic

or hot mike

[ hot mahyk ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Informal.

a microphone that is actively recording or broadcasting, especially if it captures a comment or conversation that the speaker or speakers believed to be private (often used attributively): The reporter was suspended after her profanity was caught on a hot mic.
The techs should limit the number of hot mics to reduce acoustic feedback.
The reporter was suspended after her profanity was caught on a hot mic.
Their hot mic scheming confirmed the conspiracy theories.

Discover More

�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of hot mic¹

1930–35; hot (in the sense “actively conducting an electric current”) + mic “m��Ǳ��ǲԱ�”

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Bush felt obliged to apologize, as did his son George W., when he was seeking the White House eight years later and a hot mic caught him referring to one of the New York Times’ political correspondents as “a major league a—.”

From

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was caught on a hot mic the other day giving his assessment of Donald Trump’s threat to turn Canada into the 51st state.

From

The Canadian leader was caught on a hot mic worrying about Trump's designs on Canada, saying that the president's expansionist goals were a "real thing."

From

They were heard by gathered journalists because the prime minister did not realize he was still speaking into a hot mic.

From

She was infamously caught on a hot mic asking “who gives a f*ck” about Christmas decorations in the White House.

From

Browse