incubate

verb in·cu·bate \ ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt , ˈin- \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of incubate

incubated; incubating

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

play \ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbā-tiv, ˈin-\ adjective

—

incubatory

play \ˈiŋ-kyə-bə-ˌtȯr-ē, -ˌbā-tə-rē, ˈin-\ adjective

See incubate defined for English-language learners

See incubate defined for kids

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 of incubate from the Web

As Capricorn planets meet up in your future voyaging zone, you’re being asked to incubate this hope like a precious egg.

— bess matassa, Teen Vogue, "Weekly Horoscopes April 2-8," 5 Apr. 2018
Consider, too, that college tennis continues to incubate talent from all over the world.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: The Ups and Downs of Sloane Stephens," 4 Apr. 2018
The chance of becoming infected from a mosquito bite increases as the weather gets hotter because, Conlan explained, both viruses incubate more quickly in their insect hosts when the weather is warm.

— paul sisson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mosquito season increases risk of West Nile and Zika infection," 3 Apr. 2018
The process of making a batch from scratch takes this chef 24 hours, though most of that time is spent incubating the cheese.

— jean trinh, Los Angeles Magazine, "A Former New Jerseyan’s Pop-Up Is Serving Fresh Bagels Right Out of the Oven," 26 Mar. 2018
Sidewalk Toronto would be affordable and entrepreneurial, incubating start-ups from Sidewalk’s portfolio, Canada, and around the world.

— molly sauter, The Atlantic, "Google’s Guinea-Pig City," 13 Feb. 2018
On December 13, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) confirmed the pair were incubating a new egg.

— National Geographic, "World's Oldest Known Wild Bird Lays Egg at 67," 2 Jan. 2018
Hantavirus can incubate in the human body for one to eight weeks before symptoms manifest.

— cathie anderson, sacbee, "He caught a rare, crippling virus at a state park. His dad fears a cover-up | The Sacramento Bee," 16 Mar. 2018
The eggs incubate in the sand, where warmer temperatures and higher oxygen levels hasten their development, Martin said.

— deborah sullivan brennan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Fish out of water: grunion runs launch on San Diego beaches," 15 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incubate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of incubate

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1641

See Words from the same year

incubate Synonyms

INCUBATE Defined for English Language Learners

incubate

verb

Definition of incubate for English Language Learners

of a bird : to sit on eggs so that they will be kept warm and will hatch
of an egg : to be kept warm before hatching
: to keep (something) in the proper conditions for development

INCUBATE Defined for Kids

incubate

verb in·cu·bate \ ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt \

Definition of incubate for Students

incubated; incubating

1 : to sit upon eggs to hatch them by warmth

2 : to keep under conditions good for hatching or development

Medical Dictionary

incubate

verb in·cu·bate \ ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt, ˈin- \

medical Definition of incubate

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