incubate
verb (used with object)
to sit upon (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.
had incubated
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past perfectof incubate.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Did he deplore the fact that Oxford had incubated the “new atheist” movement?
From Economist ● Jun. 13, 2018
On a recent evening, while leaving her loft on Canal Street to meet a friend for dinner, she noted how little of the neighborhood that had incubated her early career remained.
From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2017
Quinn, recalling his three seasons steering the American Hockey League’s Lake Erie Monsters, wished many of his players who came via Canadian junior leagues had incubated longer before they leapt into the professional ranks.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 24, 2015
Nor did this tale appear to be one I had incubated in the past, and which now popped up above the “threshold” from my subconsciousness.
From The Idyl of Twin Fires by Walter Prichard Eaton
So it was, and a jolly blaze there was going to be when the three shovelfuls Sally had enthusiastically heaped on had incubated, and the time was ripe for the poker.
From Somehow Good by William Frend De Morgan
