hotbed

noun

hot·​bed ˈhät-ˌbed How to pronounce hotbed (audio)
1
: a bed of soil enclosed in glass, heated especially by fermenting manure, and used for forcing or for raising seedlings
2
: an environment that favors rapid growth or development
a hotbed of activity

Examples of hotbed in a Sentence

a hotbed of political unrest prerevolutionary Boston was viewed as a hotbed of treason by the British
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Russia, the Czech Republic and Ukraine have become tennis hotbeds, especially for women. Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025 Sobriety, much like the festival itself, had become a hotbed for catharsis—or a misguided crack at transcendence. Barrett Swanson, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025 Stars are born in clouds of gas and dust, which is why nebulas are hotbeds for new star formation. Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2024 With that level of visibility is bound to come controversy, and like Overwatch before it, Marvel Rivals has become a hotbed for the modding community that’s taking off in unnerving ways. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for hotbed 

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hotbed was in 1626

Dictionary Entries Near hotbed

Cite this Entry

“Hotbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

hotbed

noun
hot·​bed ˈhät-ˌbed How to pronounce hotbed (audio)
1
: a heated bed of soil enclosed in glass and used for growing seedlings
2
: an environment that favors rapid growth or development
a hotbed of innovation

More from Merriam-Webster on hotbed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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