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