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

Some 120 people are being monitored in isolation units at three hospitals, while 694 contacts have successfully tested negative for the virus’s 21-day incubation period, according to the Ministry of Health.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

The incubation period for both forms is generally 2 to 4 weeks.

From Science Daily • Jun. 22, 2026

But he warned there is a long way to go as the eggs are "only around two weeks into incubation" and a curlew's incubation period is around 28 days.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

However, the virus has an incubation period of several weeks, meaning more cases from the ship's occupants could emerge in the future, Tedros warned.

From Barron's • May 18, 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