incubation
American-
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of incubation
First recorded in 1605–15, incubation is from the Latin word incubātiōn- (stem of incubātiō ). See incubate, -ion
Explanation
In science, incubation is a process of development. An incubation period is when a disease takes hold and produces symptoms — and it's also the phase of an egg getting ready to hatch. The egg meaning of incubation is the original one — the word is derived from the Latin incubare, "to hatch." When a hen sits on her eggs, warming them beneath her so they will be able hatch, that's incubation. And when an infection is in the process of "hatching" into an active illness, complete with symptoms, it's also incubation, often described as an incubation period.
Vocabulary lists containing incubation
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.
Its incubation period ranges from two to 21 days, meaning someone exposed to the virus may not become ill until several weeks later.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
But the disease can spread quickly because the incubation period is very short—symptoms can appear within a day and up to a week later—and an infected person’s cough can be teeming with bacteria.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
According to the agency, the incubation period between exposure and the appearance of symptoms can last weeks or months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
"The incubation period is two to 21 days. A person might develop symptoms later at home, but we'll be able to track them down," Matwa said, optimistically.
From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026
According to these authors, the delayed but lethal effect on the young birds follows from storage of dieldrin in the yolk of the egg, from which it is gradually assimilated during incubation and after hatching.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
