incubation

[in-kyuh-bey-shuh n, ing-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR incubation ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act or process of incubating.

the state of being incubated.

incubation period.

Origin of incubation

First recorded in 1605–15, incubation is from the Latin word incubātiōn- (stem of incubātiō). See incubate, -ion

Related formsin·cu·ba·tion·al, in·cu·ba·to·ry

[in-kyuh-buh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ing-] /ˈɪn kyə bəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˈɪŋ-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for incubation

training, groundwork, establishment, study, arrangement, rehearsal, preparedness, construction, formation, plan, qualification, measure, education, precaution, rundown, anticipation, basis, fitting, alertness, manufacture

Examples from the Web for incubation

Contemporary Examples of incubation

And Sherriff and baby Agnes had passed the 21 days incubation period, proving they had not contracted Ebola.
The Life of a Liberian Child with Ebola
Sarah Crowe
November 5, 2014
Of course, there are real rules to Ebola, and they have to do with incubation periods, bodily fluids, and other scientific facts.
Liberian Pastors Blame Ebola on Gays, The Right Blames Obama
Jay Michaelson
October 27, 2014
Given the incubation period of the virus, we should know by the end of the week.
What Ebola on a Plane Means for the U.S.
Kent Sepkowitz
August 7, 2014
Most cases of Ebola occur after a brief one- to three-day incubation period.
Two Americans Have Now Been Diagnosed With Ebola in Record Outbreak
Kent Sepkowitz
July 28, 2014

Historical Examples of incubation

He replaced the block in the incubation oven and faced the day cheerfully.
Pariah Planet
Murray Leinster
This constitutes what is known as the incubation period, and lasts about ten days.
Rural Hygiene
Henry N. Ogden
Apparently at this stage of incubation the spheres were harmless.
The Whispering Spheres
Russell Robert Winterbotham
The male of Leptocoma zeylanica is said to assist in incubation.
Contributions to the Theory of Natural Selection
Alfred Russel Wallace
I found the general period of incubation from five to six weeks.
Cattle and Cattle-breeders
William M'Combie

Word Origin and History for incubation

1610s, "brooding," from Latin incubationem (nominative incubatio) "a laying upon eggs," noun of action from past participle stem of incubare "to hatch," literally "to lie on, rest on," from in- "on" (see in- (2)) + cubare "to lie" (see cubicle). The literal sense of "sitting on eggs to hatch them" first recorded in English 1640s.

incubation in Medicine

incubation

[ĭn′kyə-bā′shən, ĭng′-]

n.

The act of incubating or the state of being incubated.

The maintenance of controlled environmental conditions for the purpose of favoring the growth or development of microbial or tissue cultures.

The maintenance of an infant, especially a premature infant, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration in order to provide optimal conditions for growth and development.

The development of an infection from the time the pathogen enters the body until signs or symptoms first appear.

incubation in Science

incubation

[ĭn′kyə-bā′shən]

The act of warming eggs in order to hatch them, as by a bird sitting upon a clutch of eggs in a nest.

The act of keeping an organism, a cell, or cell culture in conditions favorable for growth and development.

The maintenance of an infant, especially one that is ill or born before the usual gestation period, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration in order to provide optimal conditions for growth and development.

The development of an infection from the time the pathogen enters the body until signs or symptoms first appear.

Related formsincubate verb