English
greenhouse
see also: Greenhouse
Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ˈɡɹiːnˌhaʊs/
Noun

greenhouse (plural greenhouses)

  1. 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.
  2. (UK military slang, dated) The glass of a plane's cockpit.
    • 1941 March 24, Life, p. 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’.
  3. (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.
Synonyms
  • (building used to grow plants out of season) glasshouse (UK commercial operations), plant-house
Translations Verb

greenhouse (greenhouses, present participle greenhousing; 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.
Greenhouse
Proper noun
  1. Surname


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