Noun: hotbed 'hót,bed
- A situation that is ideal for rapid development (especially of something bad)
"it was a hotbed of vice"
- A bed of earth covered with glass and heated by rotting manure to promote the growth of plants
"The gardener used a hotbed to start seedlings early in the season"
Derived forms: hotbeds
Type of: bed, situation, state of affairs
Encyclopedia: Hotbed