hotbed
Quick Summary
A "hotbed" has two primary meanings. Historically, it referred to a bed of soil enclosed in glass and heated, often by fermenting manure, used for forcing plants or raising seedlings.1
More commonly today, "hotbed" describes an environment where something, especially something undesirable or rapidly developing, is favored and grows quickly. For example, prerevolutionary Boston was considered a hotbed of treason by the British. Other synonyms include nest, nursery, seedbed, or breeding ground.12
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