incubate

verb

in·​cu·​bate ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt How to pronounce incubate (audio)
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 adjective
incubatory
ˈiŋ-kyə-bə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce incubate (audio)
-ˌbā-tə-rē
ˈin-
adjective

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Why dedicate your resources to incubating new products when the old one makes so much money? Jason Schreier, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2024 For a breeding bird, incubating a nest is always a gamble. Ian Rose, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Sep. 2024 Snipes has ridden an entrepreneurial track alongside his acting career and is actively incubating several ventures in the tech space, including a mobile platform. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Oct. 2024 As generative AI tools grow more commonplace, platforms that give up on trying to blot out bots will incubate an online world in which work created by humans becomes increasingly harder to find on platforms swamped by AI. Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for incubate 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of incubate was in 1641

Dictionary Entries Near incubate

Cite this Entry

“Incubate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incubate. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

incubate

verb
in·​cu·​bate ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt How to pronounce incubate (audio)
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- How to pronounce incubate (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on incubate

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