greenhouse

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See also: Greenhouse

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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A small greenhouse typical of those found in private gardens
The interior of a large commercial greenhouse

Etymology

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From green ‎ house ("house for growing greens"), in reference to the produce grown within.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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greenhouse (plural greenhouses)

  2. A building used to grow plants, particularly one with large glass windows or plastic sheeting to trap heat from sunlight even in intemperate seasons or climates.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 54–55:
      The royal party had dined in the greenhouse, the coup d'œil of which was as striking as it was new. Vast stands of the most costly exotics reached to the glass roof, which was partly covered by a luxuriant vine, or by a small scarlet creeper.
  3. (UK military slang, dated) The glass of a plane's cockpit.
    • 1941 March 24, Life, page 85:
      In the slang of the Royal Air Force man, the cockpit of his plane is the ‘pulpit’ or ‘office’, the glass covering over it the ‘greenhouse’.
  4. (medicine) A structure that shields the operating table to protect against bacteria.
    • 2010, William Whyte, Cleanroom Technology:
      Figure 2.6 shows the diagram Charnley published of the airflow in the 'greenhouse'; it can be seen that reasonable downward unidirectional airflow was achieved close to the operating table.
    • 1972, Southern Hospitals, volumes 40-41, page 10:
      The greenhouse system for providing a nearly bacteria-free operating environment consists of a 10 by 10-foot aluminum frame with plexiglass panes forming three sides and a polyvinyl curtain forming the fourth side. […] However, the greenhouse contains its own light supply, while this is an extra with the air curtain unit.
  5. (climatology) A hot state in global climate.
    Synonym: hothouse
    Antonym: icehouse

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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greenhouse (third-person singular simple present greenhouses, present participle greenhousing, simple past and past participle greenhoused)

  1. (transitive) To place (plants) in a greenhouse.
  2. (transitive, figurative) To nurture in order to promote growth.
    • 2008, Chris Barez-Brown, How to Have Kick-Ass Ideas:
      It's almost impossible to make judgements when you're being playful – as by definition it's spontaneous activity – so your baby ideas get nurtured and greenhoused better.

See also

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Further reading

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Norman

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English greenhouse.

Noun

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greenhouse f (plural greenhouses)

  1. (Guernsey) greenhouse

Synonyms

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