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hot·house

(hŏthous′)

1. A heated greenhouse for plants that require an even, relatively warm temperature.

2. An environment conducive to vigorous growth or development; a hotbed: "With its mix of African, Latin, European, and pan-American influences, the Caribbean is truly a musical hothouse" (New Yorker).

adj.

1. Grown in a hothouse: a hothouse orchid.

2. Delicate and sensitive, as if from being grown in a hothouse.

tr.v. hot·housed, hot·hous·ing, hot·hous·es

To cultivate in a hothouse.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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