When did the term “hot,” meaning sexually attractive, become widely used?
A WAG theory: “hot” in that sense is a shortened version of “hot to trot.” If so, it comes from the middle of the last century.
Calling someone “hot” originated with the first fire-making cannibals.
C’mon baby, light my fire!
Body heat explains the origin of “hot”, think about it.
Walking backwards and slowly away from cannibals…
Hot, meaning passionate is cited in the OED to around 1500.
The phrase hot stuff, indicating that which ignites the passions, is cited to 1889 in a context that indicates that its audience was already familiar with the meaning, making it somewhat older than that.
Bawdy chanteuse Sophie Tucker (1884-1966) called herself “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas”.
tom has it correct.
Chaucer, about 1390, wrote As hoot he was and lecherous as a sparwe..