terrarium

[tuh-rair-ee-uhm] Origin

ter·rar·i·um

[tuh-rair-ee-uhm]
noun, plural ter·rar·i·ums, ter·rar·i·a [-rair-ee-uh] .
1.
a vivarium for land animals (distinguished from aquarium).
2.
a glass container, chiefly or wholly enclosed, for growing and displaying plants.

Origin:
1885–90; terr(a) + -arium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Terrarium is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
Collins
World English Dictionary
terrarium (tɛˈrɛərɪəm)
 
n , pl -rariums, -raria
1.  an enclosure for keeping small land animals
2.  a glass container, often a globe, in which plants are grown
 
[C19: New Latin, from Latin terra earth]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

terrarium
1890, from Mod.L., formed from L. terra "land" (see terrain) + -arium, abstracted from aquarium.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

terrarium

enclosure with glass sides, and sometimes a glass top, arranged for keeping plants or terrestrial or semi-terrestrial animals indoors. The purpose may be decoration, scientific observation, or plant or animal propagation

Learn more about terrarium with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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