Terrarium

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /təˈɹɛəɹ.ɪ.əm/

Definitions

1. A transparent enclosure that cultivates plants and possibly small creatures, mimicking an ecosystem in a controlled environment
2. An enclosed glass environment designed to support the growth of plant life and potentially small animals, simulating ecological conditions
3. A contained glass structure that fosters plant growth and occasionally houses small animals, replicating an ecosystem's natural conditions

Etymology: The word was built on the model of "aquarium," which is the key to its history. Latin "terra" means "earth" or "land," and the suffix "-arium" marks a place or container for something, so a terrarium is literally a place for earth-dwelling things. The pattern was borrowed from "aquarium," a word that itself came into English from the Latin "aquarium," meaning a water tank or place for water. Once aquariums for fish became familiar, speakers simply swapped the first element to name the land-based equivalent. The result is a coinage rather than an ancient word. Nothing in Latin ever meant a glass case for growing plants, so the term reflects a modern hobby, not a classical tradition. Its meaning stays close to its parts: a sealed or semi-sealed container in which small plants, and sometimes small land animals such as insects or reptiles, are kept together in a miniature habitat.

Synonyms: vivarium, greenhouse