Meaning & use
terrarium
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A glass container holding soil and small plants, often closed, kept as a miniature garden indoors.
Grammar: Countable: build a terrarium, two terrariums.
Patterns
- a terrarium of something
- build a terrarium
She planted tiny ferns and moss in a glass terrarium on her desk.
The children built a terrarium from a large jar, soil and pebbles.
A closed terrarium rarely needs watering because moisture cycles inside it.
nouncountable
An enclosure with a lid and controlled warmth where small land animals such as lizards, snakes or insects are kept.
Grammar: Often has a noun before it that names the animal: a gecko terrarium.
Patterns
- a terrarium for something
He keeps a bearded dragon in a heated terrarium in his bedroom.
The terrarium has a rock to climb and a small bowl of water.
The pet shop sells lights and heaters for reptile terrariums.
Word forms
| plural | terrariums |
|---|---|
| plural (alternative) | terraria |
Common combinations
- build a terrarium
- We built a terrarium from an old fish tank.
- glass terrarium
- A glass terrarium lets in plenty of light.
- closed terrarium
- A closed terrarium recycles its own water.
- desert terrarium
- A desert terrarium holds sand and small cacti.
- reptile terrarium
- The reptile terrarium needs a heat lamp.
- miniature garden in a terrarium
- She made a miniature garden in a terrarium for her sister.
Synonyms and how they differ
- vivarium
- A vivarium is a broader word for any enclosure that keeps living animals or plants for observation, so it is more scientific and often used in labs.
- glass garden
- Glass garden is a casual description of the plant-focused sense and is not used for animals.
- plant case
- Plant case is an old-fashioned word for a sealed glass box for growing plants.
Word family
- terra noun
- the Latin word for earth, which gives terrarium its root
- terrestrial adjective
- living or relating to land
- aquarium noun
- a water tank for fish
- terraria noun
- the Latin-style plural
Commonly confused: terrarium or aquarium?
terrarium vs aquarium
An aquarium holds water and aquatic life such as fish, whereas a terrarium holds soil and land plants or animals.
Practice
She planted tiny ferns and moss in a glass ___ on her desk.
Choose one answer.
A terrarium is a small glass container with soil and plants. An aquarium holds water, and a greenhouse is a building too big for a desk.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “terrarium”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.