incubator

American  

[in-kyuh-bey-ter, ing-] / ˈɪn kjəˌbeɪ tər, ˈɪŋ- /

noun

• incubators
  plural

1. an apparatus in which eggs are hatched artificially.

2. an enclosed apparatus in which prematurely born infants are kept in controlled conditions, as of temperature, for protection and care.

3. an apparatus in which media inoculated with microorganisms are cultivated at a constant temperature.

4. a person or thing that incubates.

5. Business. an enterprise that provides support services to entrepreneurs refining startup concepts, in a continuing and open-ended relationship that includes access to mentoring, networking, or legal assistance, often in a collaborative workspace.

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incubator British  

/ ˈɪnkjʊˌbeɪtə /

noun

1. med an enclosed transparent boxlike apparatus for housing prematurely born babies under optimum conditions until they are strong enough to survive in the normal environment

2. a container kept at a constant temperature in which birds' eggs can be artificially hatched or bacterial cultures grown

3. a person, animal, or thing that incubates

4. a commercial property, divided into small work units, which provides equipment and support to new businesses

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incubator Scientific  

/ ĭn′kyə-bā′tər /

1. An apparatus in which environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, can be controlled, often used for growing bacterial cultures, hatching eggs artificially, or providing suitable conditions for a chemical or biological reaction.

2. An apparatus for maintaining an infant, especially one that is ill or born before the usual gestation period, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration.

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incubator Cultural  

1. A specialized crib used in caring for infants, in which the temperature and oxygen content of the air can be controlled. Often, babies who are born prematurely will be placed in an incubator until they have become strong enough to be housed in a regular crib.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• incubators
  plural

Etymology

Origin of incubator

First recorded in 1855–60; from Late Latin: literally, “one who lies in or upon (something); one who sleeps in a temple or shrine”; see origin at incubate, -tor

Explanation

An incubator is a device that's basically a warm box, meant for keeping premature babies safe and cozy. Sometimes very tiny infants need to spend a little time in an incubator before they're ready to leave the hospital. Incubators are used in hospitals, but you'll also find them on farms, where they keep eggs warm before they hatch, and then protect the baby chicks. A biologist uses another type of incubator, one that controls the temperature for growing microbes or cells in a lab. Because all incubators help something grow and develop, businesspeople also use the term to mean a place or equipment that's available to help a new business get off the ground or grow larger.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incubator incubators

It, too, considers only fetal outcomes, reducing the woman to the same thing existing guidance does: a baby incubator.

From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026

The first cub died at 2 weeks after it became lethargic, stopped nursing and was removed from Ruby’s care into a temperature-controlled incubator to receive intervention from veterinary teams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Koontz said he is setting up an incubator that would help digital creators turn their horror ideas into movie concepts, which he would produce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

When asked why, she claimed it reminded her of being a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit and touching her parents’ hands through the small opening in her incubator.

From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2026

Some filled tubes, others inserted rubber stoppers, sealed tubes, or stacked them inside a walk-in incubator where they stayed until being packaged for shipping.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Officials explained that such eggs were often smuggled in improvised incubators and in conditions that endangered the welfare of developing embryos and hatchlings.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

While Nile crocodile eggs naturally incubate in underground nests in the wild, zoos typically hatch them in carefully controlled incubators, closely monitoring the temperature and humidity.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Researchers believe that it first arrived with military equipment and tires shipped back from the continent following World War II. Tires make excellent mosquito incubators.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

These recordings are most captivating not for the looks being modeled but as a reminder that flexible and DIY spaces that long served as incubators for boundary-pushing artistic experiments are quickly disappearing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

Snowball used as his study a shed which had once been used for incubators and had a smooth wooden floor, suitable for drawing on.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell