- 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
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
hot•bed /ˈhɑtˌbɛd/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
- Botanya glass structure covering a bed of earth that is heated, used for growing plants.
- a place, condition, situation, or environment that favors rapid growth or spread.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
hotbed /ˈhɒtˌbɛd/ n
hot′ bed′, [Metalworking.]
hot•bed (hot′bed′),USA pronunciation n., v., -bed•ded, -bed•ding.
n.
v.i.
- Metallurgyan area having rails or rolls on which rolled pieces are laid to cool.
- 1620–30
hot•bed (hot′bed′),USA pronunciation n., v., -bed•ded, -bed•ding.
n.
- Botanya 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, esp. of something disliked or unwanted:a hotbed of disease.
- Slang Termsa 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.
v.i.
- Slang Termsto share a bed in shifts, so that it is always occupied.
- hot + bed 1620–30
'hotbed' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):