According to Merriam-Webster Online, the earliest use of “Hotbed” dates to 1626 where the word described, "a bed of soil enclosed in glass, heated especially by fermenting manure, and used for forcing or for raising seedlings”.
By 1768, the word was commonly used when describing an environment favoring rapid growth or developments, e.g., a “hotbed of activity”.
Sources:
Merriam-Webster Online: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hotbed.
Etymonline: https://www.etymonline.com/word/hotbed.
“The QPB Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins” by Robert Hendrickson.
“Why You Say It” by Webb Garrison.
Host: Stephen Carter;
Email: CarterMethod@gmail.com
Mic: EV RE320
Key words:
Hotbed, hothouse, greenhouse, seedlings, gardening,
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