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hothouse

[ hot-hous ]
/ ˈhɒtˌhaʊs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR hothouse ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural hot·hous·es [hot-hou-ziz] /ˈhɒtˌhaʊ zɪz/.

an artificially heated greenhouse for the cultivation of tender plants.

adjective

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.
overprotected, artificial, or unnaturally delicate.

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Origin of hothouse

First recorded in 1505–15; hot + house

Words nearby hothouse

hotere, hotfoot, hotfoot it, hothead, hotheaded, hothouse, hothouse lamb, hotien, hotkey, hotline, hotliner
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to hothouse

bed, field, nursery, terrace, patio, greenhouse, plot, conservatory, patch, oasis, enclosure

Example sentences from the Web for hothouse

British Dictionary definitions for hothouse

hothouse
/ (ˈhɒtˌhaʊs) /

noun

  1. a greenhouse in which the temperature is maintained at a fixed level above that of the surroundings
  2. (as modifier)a hothouse plant
  1. an environment that encourages rapid development
  2. (as modifier)a hot-house atmosphere
an environment where there is great pressureshowjumping is a tough, hothouse world
(modifier) informal, often censorious sensitive or delicatea hothouse temperament
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012