noun
hotbed
Hotbed (noun) means a place or situation where something, especially something undesirable, develops quickly and intensely. Example: “The old warehouse district became a hotbed of crime.”
noun
1
A place or situation where something, especially something undesirable, develops quickly and intensely.
"The old warehouse district became a hotbed of crime."
"The university was a hotbed of political activism in the 1960s."
How to use hotbed
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA place where something, usually trouble or a movement, grows and spreads quickly.
Common pairings
hotbed of crime
hotbed of activity
hotbed of controversy
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Word forms
- Plural
- hotbeds
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The old warehouse district became a _____ of crime.
Etymology
Originally a literal gardening term for a bed of soil heated by rotting manure to help seeds sprout early; the figurative sense of "breeding ground" grew from that image.
Frequently asked questions
What does “hotbed” mean?
The word “hotbed” means a place or situation where something, especially something undesirable, develops quickly and intensely. In plain terms, a place where something, usually trouble or a movement, grows and spreads quickly.
How do you use “hotbed” in a sentence?
Here is “hotbed” used in a sentence: “The old warehouse district became a hotbed of crime.”
What part of speech is “hotbed”?
“Hotbed” is a noun.
What is the meaning of hotbed?
"hotbed" (noun) means a place or situation where something, especially something undesirable, develops quickly and intensely.
