incubation period

noun

, Pathology.

1. the period between infection and the appearance of signs of a disease.

incubation period

noun

1. med the time between exposure to an infectious disease and the appearance of the first signs or symptoms Sometimes shortened toincubation

incubation period

1. The amount of time it takes for symptoms of a disease to appear after an individual is infected ( see infection ) with the pathogen that causes the disease.

Word History and Origins

Origin of incubation period¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

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

Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said it’s likely more people will become ill with cryptosporidiosis in coming days or weeks because of a lag in the incubation period.

From Seattle Times

The onset of symptoms can sometimes take as long as 20 years because the infectious bacteria have a lengthy incubation period and proliferate slowly in the human body.

From Salon

“The incubation period for measles is relatively long,” he said.

From Salon