terrarium

American  

[tuh-rair-ee-uhm] / təˈrɛər i əm /

noun

plural

terrariums, terraria

1. a vivarium for land animals (distinguished from aquarium).

2. a glass container, chiefly or wholly enclosed, for growing and displaying plants.

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terrarium British  

/ tɛˈrɛərɪəm /

noun

1. an enclosure for keeping small land animals

2. a glass container, often a globe, in which plants are grown

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Etymology

Origin of terrarium

First recorded in 1885–90; terr(a) + -arium

Compare meaning

How does terrarium compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• vivarium vs. terrarium

Explanation

A terrarium is an enclosed, indoor garden, usually small and made of glass so that you can see your collection of plants. Most often, a terrarium is about the size of a home aquarium, and the two are often made of the same materials. Instead of keeping exotic fish, however, the owner of a terrarium keeps interesting plants and occasionally reptiles like turtles or lizards. The word terrarium was first used in the late 1800s, and it came from the word aquarium — substituting terre (meaning "land") for aqua (meaning "water").

Example Sentences

There was a basketball court, wading pools, a library, a terrarium, chess tables, a gym, bicycles and a snack room filled entirely with products from Feastables, Donaldson’s snack company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026

Earth isn’t an isolated terrarium, and life upon it has been as influenced by impacts and near misses as by continental drift.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2024

The American remake of “The Office” transformed the blank environs of an office supplies wholesaler into an adorable terrarium.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2024

Adam Sandler stars in “Leo” as a grumpy lizard who has spent his entire life in the terrarium of a fifth-grade classroom.

From New York Times • Nov. 21, 2023

We passed birds, bears, apes, monkeys, ungulates, the terrarium house, the rhinos, the elephants, the giraffes.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel