| n. | 1. | (Gardening) A bed of earth heated by fermenting manure or other substances, and covered with glass, intended for raising early plants, or for nourishing exotics. |
| 2. | A place which favors rapid growth or development; |
| Noun | 1. | hotbed - a situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad); "it was a hotbed of vice" |
| 2. | hotbed - a bed of earth covered with glass and heated by rotting manure to promote the growth of plants |