---
title: The Hotend
description: "**What is a Hotend?** A hotend is a device that heats and melts filament for 3D printing. It consists of a heating element, a thermistor to regulate temperature, and a nozzle through which the melted filament is extruded. The hotend…"
url: "https://hotends.com/kb/the-hotend/"
updated: "2022-12-26"
category: Glossary
---

# The Hotend

**What is a Hotend?**

A hotend is a device that heats and melts filament for 3D printing. It consists of a heating element, a thermistor to regulate temperature, and a nozzle through which the melted filament is extruded. The hotend is a crucial component of a 3D printer, as it allows the printer to build objects layer by layer.
But in simple terms, It is called a "hotend" because it gets very hot in order to melt the plastic but for some reason.. nobody ever talks about the "coldend" go figure.![Hotend - J-Head Farmer direct drive adapter](https://hotends.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/J-Head-Farmer-direct-drive-adapter.jpg)