HOTBED

hotbed

(noun) a bed of earth covered with glass and heated by rotting manure to promote the growth of plants

hotbed

(noun) a situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad); “it was a hotbed of vice”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

hotbed (plural hotbeds)

A low bed of earth covered with glass, and heated with rotting manure, used for the germination of seeds and the growth of tender plants, like a miniature hothouse.

(by extension) An environment that is ideal for the growth or development of something, especially of something undesirable.

Synonym: seedbed

An iron platform in a rolling mill, on which hot bars, rails, etc, are laid to cool.

Source: Wiktionary


Hot"bed`, n.

1. (Gardening)

Definition: A bed of earth heated by fermenting manure or other substances, and covered with glass, intended for raising early plants, or for nourishing exotics.

2. A place which favors rapid growth or development; as, a hotbed of sedition.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

3 April 2025

WHOLE

(noun) an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; “how big is that part compared to the whole?”; “the team is a unit”


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Coffee Trivia

Raw coffee beans, soaked in water and spices, are chewed like candy in many parts of Africa.

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