incubator

[in-kyuh-bey-ter, ing-]

noun

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.

incubator

/ 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

incubator

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.

incubator

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of incubator¹

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

Example Sentences

Committed to being an incubator for emerging artists outside of the Hollywood studio system, the Sundance Institute’s labs and mentorship programs laid the ideal groundwork for a pipeline between the non-profit and the festival.

From Salon

Hermit’s damaged, surgically removed organ becomes an incubator for a xenomorph zygote without his knowledge or permission.

From Salon

In the lab at Oxford, PhD student Jennifer Chennells showed us small clear boxes of honeybees in an incubator that she feeds with different foods she has made.

From BBC

A New York Times article that same year called the city a “testing ground” for whether California could successfully acclimate Latinos into its fabric; a 2000 follow-up deemed it “a citizenship incubator.”

From Los Angeles Times

Rashd, who studied computer science at university, got a spot in a government-backed incubator and accelerator program called Saudi Game Champions.

From Los Angeles Times