hot pad

Meaning

1. 1nouncountableAmerican

   A thick piece of cloth or other heat-proof material that you hold or place under a hot pot or dish so you do not burn yourself or your table.

   Grammar: Has a plural: grab two hot pads.

   Patterns

   • a hot pad for something
   • use a hot pad

   She set the casserole on a hot pad in the middle of the table.

   Grab a hot pad before you lift the pan out of the oven.

   My aunt sewed me a set of quilted hot pads.

Word forms

Common combinations

use a hot pad

Use a hot pad so the dish doesn't scorch the counter.

a quilted hot pad

The quilted hot pad has a pattern of lemons.

set on a hot pad

Set the kettle on a hot pad.

a silicone hot pad

A silicone hot pad can handle very high heat.

hot pad and oven mitt

I keep a hot pad and oven mitt near the stove.

Synonyms and how they differ

potholder

Potholder is the other common American word and usually means a small square held in the hand.

trivet

Trivet is a stand, often metal or wood, that sits under a hot dish, and it is usually not soft like a hot pad.

oven mitt

Oven mitt is a glove-shaped cover for the hand, so it protects the hand rather than the table.

oven glove

Oven glove is the British term for a mitt for the hand and is not used for pads placed on tables.

Word family

hot adjective

having a high temperature

pad noun

a soft, thick piece of material

hot plate noun

a small electric cooking surface, a different object

heating pad noun

an electric pad used to warm the body

Commonly confused: hot pad or hot plate?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hot pad”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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