greenhouse

American  

[green-hous] / ˈgrinˌhaʊs /

noun

plural

greenhouses

1. a building, room, or area, usually chiefly of glass, in which the temperature is maintained within a desired range, used for cultivating tender plants or growing plants out of season.

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greenhouse British  

/ ˈɡriːnˌhaʊs /

noun

1. a building with transparent walls and roof, usually of glass, for the cultivation and exhibition of plants under controlled conditions

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Etymology

Origin of greenhouse

First recorded in 1655–65; green + house

Example Sentences

“We should recognize that hydropower is not a carbon-free — in the sense that it has no greenhouse gas emissions — source of electricity,” said Steven Hamburg, EDF’s chief scientist and the study’s co-author.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

In one greenhouse, two women lifted tulip plants out of the ground and used a hand-drawn rolling cart to transport them to a refrigerated shed to await sale.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

Fusion, the reaction that powers the sun, has long been considered the ultimate clean-energy prize: potentially limitless electricity without greenhouse gases or radioactive waste.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The climate change plan was drawn up after the Scottish government replaced its annual targets for reducing planet warming greenhouse gas emissions with five-yearly carbon budgets.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Dad spent hours in the greenhouse trying to save the plants my mother no longer loved.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

Related Words

• arboretum
• conservatory
• nursery