terrariumn.
/tɛˈrɛːrɪəm/, /tᵻˈrɛːrɪəm/, U.S. /təˈrɛriəm/ 1. A vivarium for land animals; esp. a glass case, or the like, in which small land animals are kept under scientific observation.
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the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > zoo > [noun] > vivarium for land animals
terrarium1890
1890 Science 10 Jan. 24/2 [He] describes the ways of a snake,..which he kept in his terrarium in Zurich.
1895 Proc. Zool. Soc. 160 Usually after they have lived for some time in the terrarium they get dark spots, especially on the sides of the body.
1952 M. K. Wilson tr. K. Z. Lorenz King Solomon's Ring vii. 67 On the table..stands the nucleus of my golden hamster stud, a simple little terrarium.
1976 N. Coleman Shell Collecting in Austral. ix. 149 The larger the terrarium and the smaller the number of snails, the less work will be involved in keeping it sanitary.
1977 Sci. Amer. Dec. 36/1 Spiders and scorpions in neat terrariums.
2. A sealed transparent globe or similar container in which plants are grown, usually for decoration. Cf. Wardian case n. at Wardian adj. originally U.S.
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the world > food and drink > farming > gardening > equipment and buildings > [noun] > glass case
case1600
bell1651
glass-bell1651
bell-glass1737
fernery1840
Wardian case1842
vivarium1853
terrarium1931
1931 St. Nicholas Oct. 846/1 Have you ever tried making a terrarium?.. It means a little garden under glass—not a conservatory or a cold frame, but a real little landscape.
1942 Amer. Speech 17 284/1 He also saw on his rambles a Terrarium—a covered glass globe or fish-tank containing flowers and plants to be grown indoors during the winter.
1974 Evening Herald (Rock Hill, S. Carolina) 19 Apr. 6/5 (advt.) Globe shaped terrarium kit... A unique way to display foliage.
1979 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 6 May 5/1 (advt.) Terrariums add life to any room. In long lasting plastic; each containing an African violet plus three other selected plants.
1982 N.Y. Times 11 Apr. ii. 33/4 Partridgeberry..is often used in terrariums for its evergreen foliage and red berries.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1890