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.
Florida — specifically Miami — is the hotbed. Noah White, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025 As a hotbed of resistance against its British colonizers, Bengal’s freedom struggle was fought as much with ideas as with weapons. Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025 Seehorn joined the project after seeing it at Denver’s SeriesFest, which is fast becoming a hotbed on the indie scene. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025 Since the 1920s, the tiny town in the northeast corner of the state has been a hotbed for overnight camps, with its favorable location along the banks of the Little River atop Lookout Mountain. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 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

Cite this Entry

“Hotbed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed. Accessed 10 Oct. 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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