incubation period

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. the period between infection and the appearance of signs of a disease.

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incubation period British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: incubation.  med the time between exposure to an infectious disease and the appearance of the first signs or symptoms

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incubation period Cultural  

1. The amount of time it takes for symptoms of a disease to appear after an individual is infected (see infection) with the pathogen that causes the disease.

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Etymology

Origin of incubation period

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

incubation period

Given the weeklong average incubation period, Michigan data suggests that:

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Tracing its source poses particular difficulties for two reasons: an incubation period of up to two weeks before symptoms first appear, and lack of a genetic fingerprint, unlike, say, E. coli.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

The incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 22, 2026

The World Health Organization had recommended people with high-risk exposure undergo quarantine at home or in a facility for 42 days “as a precautionary measure” because of the long incubation period of the virus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

Smallpox has an incubation period of about twelve days, during which time sufferers, who may not know they are sick, can infect anyone they meet.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann