seedbed

noun seed·bed \ ˈsēd-ˌbed \

Definition of seedbed

1 : soil or a bed of soil prepared for planting seed

2 : a place or source of growth or development

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Examples of seedbed in a Sentence

a social and political environment that would later become a seedbed of the abolition movement
that think tank has served as a seedbed for American conservatism since the Cold War era

Recent Examples of seedbed from the Web

Which is, after all, the seedbed for science accomplishment.

— NBC News, "Sputnik Shook the Nation 60 Years Ago. That Could Happen Again," 4 Oct. 2017
The downy seedbeds are spun into yarn and woven into a special fabric for dancers.

— patrice hanlon, The Mercury News, "Making fibers and dyes from plants in your garden," 18 May 2017
Fifty year later, New Orleans had lost some ground but remained vibrant, the birthplace of jazz, a seedbed for culture and the arts, a key part of the American military efforts in the World Wars.

— tim morris, NOLA.com, "This is a New Orleans mayor's race we need to talk about: Opinion," 2 June 2017
As bleak as Afghanistan’s prospects were, the United States could not afford to walk away and allow the country to become a seedbed for extremists again.

— mark landler, New York Times, "The Afghan War and the Evolution of Obama," 1 Jan. 2017
Exhibit A: the gargantuan joke that is Skolkovo, seedbed of a future Silicon Valley of Russia.

— peter savodnik, The Hive, "How Trump Handed Putin a Big Fat Win," 12 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seedbed.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.