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