incubation

[ in-kyuh-bey-shuhn, ing- ]

noun

1. the act or process of incubating.
2. the state of being incubated.
3. incubation period.

incubation

/ ĭn′kyə-bā′shən /

1. The act of warming eggs in order to hatch them, as by a bird sitting upon a clutch of eggs in a nest.
2. The act of keeping an organism, a cell, or cell culture in conditions favorable for growth and development.
3. The maintenance of an infant, especially one that is ill or born before the usual gestation period, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration in order to provide optimal conditions for growth and development.
4. The development of an infection from the time the pathogen enters the body until signs or symptoms first appear.

Other Words From

• incu·bation·al in·cu·ba·to·ry [in, -ky, uh, -b, uh, -tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ing, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of incubation¹

First recorded in 1605–15, incubation is from the Latin word incubātiōn- (stem of incubātiō ). See incubate, -ion

Example Sentences

As a first step, researchers collected eggs found in the wild and hatched them in incubation centres.

From BBC

Listeria is unusually hard to trace after an outbreak because it has a long incubation period — the CDC says it can take up to 10 weeks for some people to develop symptoms.

From Los Angeles Times

The pair were married three years later, and Feminella launched his dating app First Round’s on Me nationwide in August after a four-year incubation period.

From Los Angeles Times

Environmental Protection Agency has also said that climate change increases the risk of exposure to West Nile virus, as warmer temperatures can accelerate mosquito development, biting rates and incubation of the disease within an insect.

From Los Angeles Times

New Jersey began trying to reverse the decline in the early 1980s by bringing in eagles from Canada, along with artificial incubation and fostering efforts, the department said.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• arrangement
• construction
• education
• establishment
• formation
• groundwork
• measure
• plan
• precaution
• preparedness
• qualification
• rehearsal
• study
• training