greenhouse

The word “greenhouse” means a glass or plastic-covered building used to grow plants by trapping heat and sunlight. In plain terms, a glass building for growing plants, or (in climate contexts) the effect of gases trapping heat in the atmosphere.

“Greenhouse” is pronounced GREEN-hows (/ˈɡɹːnˌ(h)aʊs/ in IPA).

Here is “greenhouse” used in a sentence: “She grows tomatoes in the greenhouse all year round.”

Depending on how it is used, “greenhouse” can be a noun and a verb.

“Greenhouse” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Greenhouse” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a glass or plastic-covered building used to grow plants by trapping heat and sunlight.

A greenhouse is a glass or plastic-covered structure built specifically to grow plants by trapping heat and sunlight, while a conservatory is typically attached to a house and combines plant growing with use as a living space. Greenhouses are usually more utilitarian and purpose-built for cultivation.

The "greenhouse effect" is the overall process by which certain gases trap heat in Earth's atmosphere, while a "greenhouse gas" is one of the specific gases, such as carbon dioxide or methane, responsible for causing that effect. The term borrows from how a physical greenhouse traps heat from sunlight.

Yes, "greenhouse" can function as a verb meaning to grow or nurture something, especially plants, in protected conditions. This usage is less common than the noun but appears in gardening and horticultural contexts.