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

Example Sentences

“Of course, the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it’s possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks.”

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

The incubation period is around six weeks, or 42 days.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Complete isolation would be gruelling - the virus has an incubation period of up to nine weeks - and it is not clear how long people in Spain or elsewhere will be quarantined.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Given these viruses’ weekslong incubation period, these people may have been feeling fine when they boarded the ship, before eventually falling ill.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

Smallpox has an incubation period of about twelve days, during which time sufferers, who may not know they are sick, can infect anyone they meet.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann