incubate

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

|Updated on: 11 Aug 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

While the focus tends to be on bigger national races and members of Congress, Parker stressed the importance of LGBTQ representation at the state level, because states incubate the most discriminatory bills.

— NBC News, "Only 0.1 percent of elected officials are LGBTQ, new report finds," 22 June 2018
Curlews, when incubating their eggs, are inconspicuous.

— kevin davenport, idahostatesman, "Why are curlews declining in Idaho? Turns out, humans are their most deadly predator.," 18 June 2018
The two incubated three eggs on top of the library in 2017.

— genevieve bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, "Pair of perennial peregrine falcons back atop Evanston Public Library; female sitting on four eggs," 17 Apr. 2018
Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, which typically come in pairs and take 16 to 19 days to hatch.

— keith williams, New York Times, "The Elusive City Squab," 23 May 2018
The flip side: often the USTA has put in years of work (and years of financing) to incubate careers.

— jon wertheim, SI.com, "Mailbag: Is Current Form or Past Slam Performance a Better Indicator of Success in Majors?," 27 June 2018
In July, leaders in Beijing announced a plan to incubate a local AI industry valued at about $150 billion by 2030, relying in no small part on government investment.

— tony romm and drew harwell, latimes.com, "White House will host Amazon, Facebook, Ford and others to discuss artificial intelligence," 8 May 2018
Before closing in April 2013, the Congress would help incubate several summer festivals, not just Riot Fest.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Does Chicago have too many music festivals?," 30 May 2018
Green sea turtles incubate a little later: in July, August and September.

— tyler treadway, USA TODAY, "Almost all sea turtles born in Florida are female, and this researcher thinks she knows why," 13 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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

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