hotbed
Americannoun
-
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.
-
a place or environment favoring rapid growth or spread, especially of something disliked or unwanted.
a hotbed of disease.
-
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.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a glass-covered bed of soil, usually heated by fermenting material, used for propagating plants, forcing early vegetables, etc
-
a place offering ideal conditions for the growth of an idea, activity, etc, esp one considered bad
a hotbed of insurrection
Etymology
Origin of hotbed
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.
See Examples For:
In the last two decades, China has transformed from a basic manufacturer of generics and precursor chemicals into a hotbed of scientific discovery, boosted by government support and low operating costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
It put them in a hotbed of hippiedom right as the 1960s got rolling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
A hotbed of feminist rebellion, its corset-shattering, myth-busting history encompasses a journey of emancipation, imagination, and healthy disdain for patriarchal expectations.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Space is becoming a hotbed for communications investment.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Not all classes were like this, but even in accelerated courses the classroom at Permian was hardly a hotbed of intellectual give-and-take.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Such ploys were unheard of two years ago, when investors were snapping up property and shift workers were "hotbedding", or rotating use of beds.
From Reuters ● Mar. 5, 2015
In some instances, this has led to "hotbedding" or sharing of a single bed by up to three workers who stagger their shifts to keep out of each other's way.
From Reuters ● Jun. 10, 2012
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
