Hotbed — Hot bed , n. 1. (Gardening) A bed of earth heated by fermenting manure or other substances, and covered with glass, intended for raising early plants, or for nourishing exotics. [1913 Webster] 2. A place which favors rapid growth or development;… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
hotbed — 1620s, from HOT (Cf. hot) + BED (Cf. bed); originally bed of earth heated by fermenting manure for forcing growing plants; generalized sense of place that fosters rapid growth is from 1768 … Etymology dictionary
hotbed — ► NOUN 1) a bed of earth heated by fermenting manure, for raising or forcing plants. 2) an environment promoting the growth of an activity or trend … English terms dictionary
hotbed — [hät′bed΄] n. 1. a bed of earth covered with glass and heated by manure, electricity, etc. for forcing plants 2. any place that fosters rapid growth or extensive activity … English World dictionary
hotbed — UK [ˈhɒtˌbed] / US [ˈhɑtˌbed] noun [countable] Word forms hotbed : singular hotbed plural hotbeds a place where there are a lot of people involved in a particular activity a hotbed of invention/genius/crime … English dictionary
hotbed — hot|bed [ˈhɔtbed US ˈha:t ] n be a hotbed of sth a place where a lot of a particular type of activity, especially bad or violent activity, happens ▪ the university was a hotbed of radical protest … Dictionary of contemporary English
hotbed — [[t]hɒ̱tbed[/t]] hotbeds N COUNT: with supp, usu N of n (emphasis) If you say that somewhere is a hotbed of an undesirable activity, you are emphasizing that a lot of the activity is going on there or being started there. ...a state now known… … English dictionary
hotbed — noun be a hotbed of a place where a lot a particular kind of activity, especially bad or violent activity, happens: Bavaria was a hotbed of extremist politics in the 20s and 30s … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
hotbed — /ˈhɒtbɛd / (say hotbed) noun 1. a bed of earth, heated by fermenting manure, etc., and usually covered with glass, for growing plants out of season. 2. a place favouring rapid growth, especially of something bad: *Offices are a hotbed of sexual… …
hotbed — noun Date: 1626 1. a bed of soil enclosed in glass, heated especially by fermenting manure, and used for forcing or for raising seedlings 2. an environment that favors rapid growth or development < a hotbed of activity > … New Collegiate Dictionary
