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

“As time goes on, these camps are incubators for radicalization,” he said.

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That dinner blossomed into far more, a romance and business partnership in which she says the 70-year-old billionaire invested in excess of $100 million into a jointly owned tech incubator — before it all fell apart.

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Inside were rows of nesting boxes in which the chickens laid their eggs, and an incubator room with its own woodstove, so the room could be kept warm for baby chicks.

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The yearlong program, supported by Netflix, was designed as an incubator for disabled filmmakers.

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Building on their findings, Kumawat and his colleagues now plan to cultivate these microorganisms in controlled incubators to learn more about how they obtain nutrients and persist in such inhospitable environments.

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