different between greenhouse vs hotbed

English

Etymology

From green +? house ("house for growing greens"), in reference to the produce grown within.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???i?n?ha?s/

Noun

greenhouse (plural greenhouses)

1. A building used to grow plants, particularly one with large glass windows or plastic sheeting to trap heat from sunlight even in intemperate seasons or climates.
2. (Britain military slang, dated) The glass of a plane's cockpit.
   • 1941 March 24, Life, p. 85:

     In the slang of the Royal Air Force man, the cockpit of his plane is the ‘pulpit’ or ‘office’, the glass covering over it the ‘greenhouse’.

3. (medicine) A structure that shields the operating table to protect against bacteria.
   • 2010, William Whyte, Cleanroom Technology

     Figure 2.6 shows the diagram Charnley published of the airflow in the 'greenhouse'; it can be seen that reasonable downward unidirectional airflow was achieved close to the operating table.

   • 1972, Southern Hospitals (volumes 40-41, page 10)

     The greenhouse system for providing a nearly bacteria-free operating environment consists of a 10 by 10-foot aluminum frame with plexiglass panes forming three sides and a polyvinyl curtain forming the fourth side. […] However, the greenhouse contains its own light supply, while this is an extra with the air curtain unit.

4. (climatology) A hot state in global climate.

   Synonym: hothouse

   Antonym: icehouse

Synonyms

• (building used to grow plants out of season): glasshouse (UK commercial operations), plant-house

Derived terms

• greenhouse bug
• greenhouse effect
• greenhouse-friendly
• greenhouse gas
• greenhouse slug
• greenhouse warming

Translations

Verb

greenhouse (third-person singular simple present greenhouses, present participle greenhousing, simple past and past participle greenhoused)

1. (transitive) To place (plants) in a greenhouse.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To nurture in order to promote growth.
   • 2008, Chris Barez-Brown, How to Have Kick-Ass Ideas

     It's almost impossible to make judgements when you're being playful – as by definition it's spontaneous activity – so your baby ideas get nurtured and greenhoused better.

See also

• cloche
• hothouse
• orangery
• polyhouse
• polytunnel

Further reading

• greenhouse on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from English greenhouse.

Noun

greenhouse f (plural greenhouses)

1. (Guernsey) greenhouse

Synonyms

• spàn

English

Etymology

hot +? bed

Noun

hotbed (plural hotbeds)

1. A low bed of earth covered with glass, and heated with rotting manure, used for the germination of seeds and the growth of tender plants, like a miniature hothouse.
2. (by extension) An environment that is ideal for the growth or development of something, especially of something undesirable.

   Synonym: seedbed

3. An iron platform in a rolling mill, on which hot bars, rails, etc., are laid to cool.

Translations

See also

• breeding-ground
• nidus