incubator

American  

[in-kyuh-bey-ter, ing-] / ˈɪn kjəˌbeɪ tər, ˈɪŋ- /

noun

• incubators
  plural

1. an apparatus in which eggs are hatched artificially.

2. an enclosed apparatus in which prematurely born infants are kept in controlled conditions, as of temperature, for protection and care.

3. an apparatus in which media inoculated with microorganisms are cultivated at a constant temperature.

4. a person or thing that incubates.

5. Business. an enterprise that provides support services to entrepreneurs refining startup concepts, in a continuing and open-ended relationship that includes access to mentoring, networking, or legal assistance, often in a collaborative workspace.

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incubator British  

/ ˈɪnkjʊˌbeɪtə /

noun

1. med an enclosed transparent boxlike apparatus for housing prematurely born babies under optimum conditions until they are strong enough to survive in the normal environment

2. a container kept at a constant temperature in which birds' eggs can be artificially hatched or bacterial cultures grown

3. a person, animal, or thing that incubates

4. a commercial property, divided into small work units, which provides equipment and support to new businesses

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incubator Scientific  

/ ĭn′kyə-bā′tər /

1. An apparatus in which environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, can be controlled, often used for growing bacterial cultures, hatching eggs artificially, or providing suitable conditions for a chemical or biological reaction.

2. An apparatus for maintaining an infant, especially one that is ill or born before the usual gestation period, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration.

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incubator Cultural  

1. A specialized crib used in caring for infants, in which the temperature and oxygen content of the air can be controlled. Often, babies who are born prematurely will be placed in an incubator until they have become strong enough to be housed in a regular crib.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• incubators
  plural

Etymology

Origin of incubator

First recorded in 1855–60; from Late Latin: literally, “one who lies in or upon (something); one who sleeps in a temple or shrine”; see origin at incubate, -tor

Explanation

An incubator is a device that's basically a warm box, meant for keeping premature babies safe and cozy. Sometimes very tiny infants need to spend a little time in an incubator before they're ready to leave the hospital. Incubators are used in hospitals, but you'll also find them on farms, where they keep eggs warm before they hatch, and then protect the baby chicks. A biologist uses another type of incubator, one that controls the temperature for growing microbes or cells in a lab. Because all incubators help something grow and develop, businesspeople also use the term to mean a place or equipment that's available to help a new business get off the ground or grow larger.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incubator incubators

Kevin Simback of startup incubator Delphi Labs calls it the era of "subsidized intelligence" -- meaning investors were basically footing the bill so companies could offer AI on the cheap.

From Barron's ● May 31, 2026

When asked why, she claimed it reminded her of being a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit and touching her parents’ hands through the small opening in her incubator.

From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2026

From his perch heading the influential tech incubator Y Combinator, his oracle-like pronouncements on Twitter were eagerly consumed by budding start-up founders.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

They also worked in the same startup ecosystem while Altman was leading incubator Y Combinator from 2014 to 2019.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026

My mother spent two months at my side in the hospital, watching me grow in a warmed incubator instead of in her belly.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

Studies have also found that warmer temperatures push some species to bite more, develop into adults faster, and serve as better virus incubators.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

In an interview with Belly of the Beast, a Cuba-focused website, Jayapal described visiting a maternity hospital where they saw premature babies in incubators.

From Barron's ● Apr. 6, 2026

This isn’t unheard of: Some universities already have taxable, for-profit arms, whether it’s in real estate development, hospitality or startup incubators.

From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2026

Small venues are incubators for the UK's thriving music scene.

From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026

“The power’s out, and the backup generator’s not working. If the incubators cool off for too long, they may lose part of the hatch.”

From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata