hot bed

Meanings

1. A mass of organic matter decomposing and giving off heat from microbial metabolic action.
2. A garden bed using such a heat-generating mass; a hotbox.
3. A central point of activity, relating to a specific task.
4. A bed shared by workers, sailors, or soldiers operating in shifts or watches (named for the idea that it is still warm when the next occupant gets into it).
5. A heated print bed, so as to help the lower levels of extruded filament stick together.

1. To share sleeping accommodations with one or two others serially (in shifts), as on a ship or a submarine or other operation with round-the-clock staffing.
2. To farm using hotbeds for season extension.