'hotpot' originates from English, as a compound of 'hot' + 'pot'; 'hot' comes from Old English 'hāt' meaning 'hot' or 'heated', and 'pot' comes from Old English 'pott' meaning 'pot' or 'vessel'.

'hotpot' developed in English as a compound word (recorded from the 17th–18th century) to describe a dish cooked and kept hot in a single pot; the term later broadened to include different regional dishes (e.g. British stew and Asian communal pots).

Initially, it referred specifically to a hot dish made by mixing and cooking various ingredients in one pot; over time the term has kept that core sense but extended to include regional variations such as the British casserole and the Asian communal 'hot pot'.