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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incubation period

The incubation period for Ebola ranges from two to 21 days, meaning those exposed to the virus may not become ill for several weeks.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

"The incubation period is two to 21 days. A person might develop symptoms later at home, but we'll be able to track them down," Matwa said, optimistically.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Given the weeklong average incubation period, Michigan data suggests that:

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Tracing its source poses particular difficulties for two reasons: an incubation period of up to two weeks before symptoms first appear, and lack of a genetic fingerprint, unlike, say, E. coli.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

Doctors performed the operation while he was in the incubation period after his exposure to Ebola.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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