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 of incubate

• 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

Echidnas, similar to the platypus, are monotremes, egg-laying mammals, and typically produce only one egg per breeding season, which incubates in the mother’s pouch, according to the San Diego Wildlife Alliance. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 July 2026

Molecular clouds can also be stellar nurseries, incubating new stars and planets in their depths. — Damien Pine, Scientific American, 13 July 2026

According to the ancient Greeks, a mighty serpent called Ophion incubated an enormous egg that hatched into the universe and all its inhabitants. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

This has been a consistent problem for a long time now, years in fact, where among a long list of incubating projects, nothing has come to pass outside of Marathon, despite all the money spent to dig up ideas. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

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
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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