incubation

American  

[in-kyuh-bey-shuhn, ing-] / ˌɪn kyəˈbeɪ ʃən, ˌɪŋ- /

noun

1. the act or process of incubating.

2. the state of being incubated.

3. incubation period.

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incubation Scientific  

/ ĭn′kyə-bā′shən /

1. The act of warming eggs in order to hatch them, as by a bird sitting upon a clutch of eggs in a nest.

2. The act of keeping an organism, a cell, or cell culture in conditions favorable for growth and development.

3. 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.

4. The development of an infection from the time the pathogen enters the body until signs or symptoms first appear.

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Other Word Forms

• incubational adjective
• incubatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of incubation

First recorded in 1605–15, incubation is from the Latin word incubātiōn- (stem of incubātiō ). See incubate, -ion

Example Sentences

The incubation period, the time between infection and getting symptoms, is thought to be up to 10 days.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

"Modern birds aren't 'better' at hatching eggs. Instead, birds living today and oviraptors have a very different way of incubation or, more specifically, brooding," Yang pointed out.

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026

The virus is contagious only when symptoms appear after an incubation period of two to 21 days.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

This is the most serious form of the plague and can have an incubation period of just one day.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025

Frightful stood over the eggs, not sitting on them to start incubation, but protecting them from the freezing air.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

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• construction
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• establishment
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