Hotbed

['hɒtbed] or ['hɑtbɛd]

Definition

(noun.) a bed of earth covered with glass and heated by rotting manure to promote the growth of plants.

(noun.) a situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad); 'it was a hotbed of vice'.

Edited by Kathleen--From WordNet

Definition

(n.) A bed of earth heated by fermenting manure or other substances, and covered with glass, intended for raising early plants, or for nourishing exotics.

(n.) A place which favors rapid growth or development; as, a hotbed of sedition.

Checked by Freda