incubate

verb

in·​cu·​bate ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt 

ˈin-

incubated; incubating

transitive verb

1

a

: to sit on (eggs) so as to hatch by the warmth of the body

b

: to maintain (something, such as an embryo or a chemically active system) under conditions favorable for hatching, development, or reaction

2

: to cause or aid the development of

incubate an idea

intransitive verb

1

: to sit on eggs

2

: to undergo incubation : develop

incubative

ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbā-tiv 

ˈin-

adjective

incubatory

ˈiŋ-kyə-bə-ˌtȯr-ē 

-ˌbā-tə-rē

ˈin-

adjective

Synonyms

• spawn
• sit
• hatch
• lay
• brood

Examples of incubate in a Sentence

The female bird incubates the eggs.

Researchers incubated the cells in the laboratory.

The cultures must incubate for five more days.

The virus will incubate in the body for several days before the patient experiences any symptoms.

Recent Examples on the Web

Both birds attend the nest, which consists of 4 to 8 eggs that are incubated for about a month. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2025

Sea turtles crawl ashore to dig their nests on beaches, allowing the warmth of the sun to incubate the eggs for about 60 days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025

After incubating for 60 to 70 days, hatchlings begin emerging from their nests in mid-August through early September. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025

Bitcoin incubated within a small community of cypherpunks and developers. —Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin incubatus, past participle of incubare, from in- + cubare to lie

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for incubate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

incubate

verb

in·​cu·​bate ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt 

ˈin-

incubated; incubating

1

: to sit on eggs to hatch them by warmth

2

: to maintain (as bacteria or a chemically active system) under conditions good for development or reaction

3

: to go through the process of incubation

Medical Definition

incubate

verb

in·​cu·​bate ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt, ˈin- 

incubated; incubating

transitive verb

1

: to maintain (as eggs, embryos of animals, or bacteria) under prescribed and usually controlled conditions favorable for hatching or development especially in an incubator

2

: to maintain (a chemically active system) under controlled conditions for the development of a reaction

intransitive verb

: to undergo incubation

the cultures incubated for five days