hothouse
Americannoun
plural
hothousesadjective
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of, relating to, or noting a plant grown in a hothouse, or so fragile as to be capable of being grown only in a hothouse.
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overprotected, artificial, or unnaturally delicate.
noun
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a greenhouse in which the temperature is maintained at a fixed level above that of the surroundings
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( as modifier )
a hothouse plant
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an environment that encourages rapid development
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( as modifier )
a hot-house atmosphere
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an environment where there is great pressure
showjumping is a tough, hothouse world
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informal (modifier) sensitive or delicate
a hothouse temperament
Etymology
Origin of hothouse
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This story originally appeared in Hothouse and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
From Scientific American • Jun. 7, 2022
Their innovations lead to the dismantling of governments, which in turn accelerate the climate crisis on what will come to be known as Hothouse Earth.
From Seattle Times • May 16, 2022
She is the author of three nonfiction books—Branded, Hothouse Kids, and Republic of Outsiders—and the poetry book Monetized.
From Slate • Jun. 26, 2018
The Hothouse Partner-cast staging of Harold Pinter’s classic political satire set in a government-run mental institution.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2018
Hothouse blooms, no doubt from the florist’s floor.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
