Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US, also cross-wire, wire, wire up) to start a car without an ignition key by making the required connection between two wires.

1954		Time 2 Aug. 36: They showed how to ‘hot-wire’ a car (i.e., bypass the ignition lock).
1961		M. Braly Felony Tank (1962) 139: They found an old model Dodge. ‘This is it,’ Agnes exclaimed. ‘I’ve seen Billy wire these.’.
1966		H.S. Thompson Hell’s Angels (1967) 164: He [...] hot-wired a convertible waiting for a tune-up and drove out to Highway 101.
1967		R. Conot Rivers of Blood 231: The police, when they caught a dude, would retaliate with a billy club to the belly, then drive him five or six miles and make him walk back. Likely as not, he wouldn't walk very far. He'd spot a car with the keys in it or one that he could cross-wire, and he'd arrive back in style, waving and grinning.
1974		D. Jenkins Dead Solid Perfect 161: The least I figured he might do would be to wire up Pete Fernandez’s car, steal it [etc].
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 34: Hot-wiring a car, and finding a place to dispose of the body.
1984		A. Sayle Train to Hell 77: How to hot-wire a Ford Escort.
1992		G. Disher Paydirt [ebook] Within fifteen minutes he’d hot-wired the bus [...] and was heading away.
1993		T. Jones Pugilist at Rest 84: I stole this fucking car. Hot-wired the motherfucker.
1999		Guardian Guide 15-21 May 8: He/she will, usually, hot wire the thing for free.
2004		C. Hiaasen Skinny Dip 39: I’d better get going before those damn rodents hot-wire my car.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 153: Florida was also where Louis first learned to hotwire a car.
2016		D. Whish-Wilson Old Scores [ebook] He re-hotwired the ignition and reversed onto the quiet street.
2020		S.A. Crosby Blacktop Wasteland 231: He could hot-wire the truck.
2021		T. Pluck Boy from County Hell 14: [S]he wired another truck and drove to the tire plant.
2024		J. Meades Empty Wigs (t/s) 83: I tried to hotwire the Renault van. It wouldn't ignite [...] The spark plugs had been removed.

2. to illegally connect to the electricity supply.

1989		M. Dibdin Tryst 31: Alex, one of the other residents and good with his hands, had hot-wired the electricity supply.
1999		Indep. 24 July 7: Even with hot-wired electricity I’d never be able to keep it warm in winter.
2003		G. Tate Midnight Lightning 67: Their favorite piece of hotwired audio hardware.

3. (US) to place (illicit) surveillance equipment in a target’s home.

2021

J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 156: ‘We saw you and Bernie Spindel hot-wire Steve Cochran’s place’.