greenhouse

Definition

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.

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

• "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."
• "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’."
• "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."

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