cold frame

American  

noun

1. a bottomless, boxlike structure, usually covered with glass or transparent plastic, and the bed of earth that it covers, used to protect plants.

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cold frame British  

noun

1. an unheated wooden frame with a glass top, used to protect young plants from the cold

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Etymology

Origin of cold frame

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Whatever the dimensions of your cold frame, there’s one caveat: Never leave the lid all the way open when pots are inside, or a storm could soak them.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 20, 2023

Don’t open your cold frame if the temperature is below freezing, during a snowstorm, first thing in the morning, or in the evening or beyond, Warnock says.

From Washington Post • Oct. 5, 2022

An open cold frame would be ideal, where they could be left over the winter.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 1, 2021

Of course I want that thick sheet of Perspex, for a possible future cold frame.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 12, 2018

On the edge of the garden in a cold frame the tomato and bell pepper and cabbage sets were nearly ready for transplanting, waiting only for the passing of the frost danger.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• back yard
• bed
• field
• greenhouse
• nursery
• patio
• terrace