Hotbed
/ˈhɒtˌbɛd/noun
A place or situation that encourages the rapid growth or development of something, especially something undesirable.
Did you know?The word first referred to a warm bed of manure-covered soil used to force plants to grow early, so its modern figurative sense kept the idea of something artificially heated into rapid growth.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hāt
“hot, warm”
Old English
OE
bedd
“bed, sleeping place”
16th Century
English
hot-bed
“a heated bed or frame for forcing plants to grow”
17th Century
English
hotbed
“a literal heated planting bed; later, a place where something grows quickly”
Modern English
English
hotbed
“a place where a particular activity or attitude develops rapidly, especially an undesirable one”