noun
hothouse
noun
1
A heated greenhouse used for growing plants that need warmth.
"The orchids were kept in a hothouse all winter."
2
An environment, often artificial, that pushes rapid growth or development.
"The academy became a hothouse for young chess talent."
"Critics called the elite school a hothouse that burns kids out early."
3
A setting charged with tension, intrigue, or conflict.
"The newsroom was a hothouse of rivalry and gossip."
verb
1
To push a child through an intensively enriched program aimed at speeding up their development.
"Parents who hothouse toddlers with flashcards worry teachers."
How to Use Hothouse
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally a heated greenhouse; figuratively, any place — good or bad — where things (talent, tension) grow fast.
Common pairings
hothouse environment
hothouse flower
hothouse a child
Word Forms
hothoused past tense, hothouses plural, hothouses singular
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The orchids were kept in a _____ all winter.
Etymology
From Middle English hothous, simply hot + house.