hotbed

American  

[hot-bed] / ˈhɒtˌbɛd /

noun

1. a bottomless, boxlike, usually glass-covered structure and the bed of earth it covers, heated typically by fermenting manure or electrical cables, for growing plants out of season.

2. a place or environment favoring rapid growth or spread, especially of something disliked or unwanted.

   a hotbed of disease.

3. Slang. a bed shared by two or more persons in shifts, each sleeping in it for or at a designated time and then vacating it for the next occupant.

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verb (used without object)

hotbedded, hotbedding

1. Slang. to share a bed in shifts, so that it is always occupied.

hotbed British  

/ ˈhɒtˌbɛd /

noun

1. a glass-covered bed of soil, usually heated by fermenting material, used for propagating plants, forcing early vegetables, etc

2. a place offering ideal conditions for the growth of an idea, activity, etc, esp one considered bad

   a hotbed of insurrection

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Etymology

Origin of hotbed

First recorded in 1620–30; hot + bed

Example Sentences

The south west of the country is a particular hotbed, with six of the 10 Team GB curlers having links to the area.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

To some, Janick’s background in rock made him a strange fit to head the label long known as a hip-hop hotbed thanks to the likes of Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

The medical-device contract development and manufacturing sector has been a hotbed for deal activity in recent years—with companies fetching higher multiples to their earnings and revenue in those transactions than Integer’s current implied multiple.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Long known as the world’s factory, China is fast becoming a hotbed of innovation.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

The paper called it a hotbed for specimen recovery.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth

Related Words

• heart
• hub
• place