incubate

American  

[in-kyuh-beyt, ing-] / ˈɪn kyəˌbeɪt, ˈɪŋ- /

verb (used with object)

incubated, incubating

1. to sit upon (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.

2. to hatch (eggs), as by sitting upon them or by artificial heat.

3. to maintain at a favorable temperature and in other conditions promoting development, as cultures of bacteria or prematurely born infants.

4. to develop or produce as if by hatching; give form to.

   His brain was incubating schemes for raising money.

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verb (used without object)

incubated, incubating

1. to sit upon eggs.

2. to undergo incubation.

3. to develop; grow; take form.

   A plan was slowly incubating in her mind.

incubate British  

/ ˈɪnkjʊˌbeɪt /

verb

1. (of birds) to supply (eggs) with heat for their development, esp by sitting on them

2. to cause (eggs, embryos, bacteria, etc) to develop, esp in an incubator or culture medium

3. (intr) (of eggs, embryos, bacteria, etc) to develop in favourable conditions, esp in an incubator

4. (intr) (of disease germs) to remain inactive in an animal or human before causing disease

5. to develop or cause to develop gradually; foment or be fomented

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Other Word Forms

• incubation noun
• incubational adjective
• incubative adjective
• unincubated adjective

Etymology

Origin of incubate

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin incubātus, past participle of incubāre “to lie or recline on, to sit on (eggs),” equivalent to in- “in” + cub(āre) “to sit, lie down” + -ātus past participle suffix; in- ², -ate ¹. incumbent, concubine

Example Sentences

The National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University is leading breakthroughs in medical and offshore robotics, having incubated 14 companies in its first few years.

From BBC

And their seemingly haphazard jumble is purposeful, reminding us that this is not a temple but a workshop, a place of ongoing activity in which new and experimental art is incubated.

From The Wall Street Journal

Researchers in Taiwan combined heat transfer simulations with physical experiments to better understand how these dinosaurs incubated their eggs.

From Science Daily

Parents take turns incubating the egg, which is highly sensitive to temperature.

From Los Angeles Times

Both pairs have since rebuilt their nests in slightly higher locations and are incubating fresh clutches of eggs.

From BBC