incubate

[ in-kyuh-beyt, ing- ]

verb (used with object)

, in·cu·bat·ed, in·cu·bat·ing.

1. to sit upon (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.
2. to hatch (eggs), as by sitting upon them or by artificial heat.
3. to maintain at a favorable temperature and in other conditions promoting development, as cultures of bacteria or prematurely born infants.
4. to develop or produce as if by hatching; give form to:

   His brain was incubating schemes for raising money.

verb (used without object)

, in·cu·bat·ed, in·cu·bat·ing.

1. to sit upon eggs.
2. to undergo incubation.
3. to develop; grow; take form:

   A plan was slowly incubating in her mind.

incubate

/ ˈɪnkjʊˌbeɪt /

verb

1. (of birds) to supply (eggs) with heat for their development, esp by sitting on them
2. to cause (eggs, embryos, bacteria, etc) to develop, esp in an incubator or culture medium
3. intr (of eggs, embryos, bacteria, etc) to develop in favourable conditions, esp in an incubator
4. intr (of disease germs) to remain inactive in an animal or human before causing disease
5. to develop or cause to develop gradually; foment or be fomented

Derived Forms

• ˌincuˈbation, noun
• ˈincuˌbative, adjective
• ˌincuˈbational, adjective

Other Words From

• incu·bative adjective
• un·incu·bated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of incubate¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin incubātus, past participle of incubāre “to lie or recline on, to sit on (eggs),” equivalent to in- “in” + cub(āre) “to sit, lie down” + -ātus past participle suffix; in- ², -ate ¹. incumbent, concubine

Word History and Origins

Origin of incubate¹

C18: from Latin incubāre to lie upon, hatch, from in- ² + cubāre to lie down

Example Sentences

TikTok is “a perfect platform to fail fast and learn quickly, because the appetite for the content is not as rigid or prescribed as some of the other platforms we have spent time incubating,” she noted.

From Digiday

The monitors appear to lay their eggs over a few weeks and leave, letting them incubate over the eight-month dry season, Doody says.

From Science News

Fabulous was incubated at Duke University’s Center for Advanced Hindsight, which is led by Professor Dan Ariely.

From Vox

The researchers then collected and incubated microbes from both locations in a refrigerator and provided them with hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

From Popular-Science

I asked David whether I could use his class to incubate my cubesat idea.

From MIT Technology Review

They employ and fund researchers, incubate and test new technologies relating to energy storage, production and carbon capture.

From The Daily Beast

Texas may be a testing ground, but it is in Silicon Valley that ideas germinate and incubate.

From The Daily Beast

Koch helped kill one species of Democratic politics and incubate another.

From The Daily Beast

And so DeMint, an implacable foe of Obamacare, will now get paid to run the organization that helped incubate Obamacare.

From The Daily Beast

In another study, “one man reported that he felt compelled to incubate and help hatch out a clutch of bantam chickens.”

From The Daily Beast

Both sexes take part in nest construction, but the hen alone appears to incubate.

From Project Gutenberg

Incubate at 37° C. for forty-eight hours and eliminate any contaminated tubes.

From Project Gutenberg

Incubate at 37° C. for forty-eight hours and eliminate any contaminated culture flasks.

From Project Gutenberg

Incubate for forty-eight hours at 37° C. and reject any contaminated tubes.

From Project Gutenberg

Incubate at 37° C. for forty-eight hours to eliminate contaminated tubes.

From Project Gutenberg