incubation period

American  

noun

Pathology.

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

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incubation period British  

noun

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

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incubation period Cultural  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of incubation period

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

But he warned there is a long way to go as the eggs are "only around two weeks into incubation" and a curlew's incubation period is around 28 days.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

The incubation period is between two and 21 days, and the mortality rate in past Bundibugyo outbreaks was between 30% and 50%.

From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026

Most transmission seems to occur after a person develops symptoms; the long incubation period allows for plenty of time to do contact tracing; and superspreader events seem to contribute to most infections.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

With hantavirus, the incubation period can take up to six weeks, so people must be isolated for a really long time to ensure they won’t get sick and start infecting others.

From Slate • May 16, 2026

When a. filovirus begins to amplify itself in a human being, the incubation period is from three to eighteen days, while the number of virus particles climbs steadily in the bloodstream.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston