incubation period

noun

: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the illness or disease it causes

Examples of incubation period in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ayyad began experiencing initial symptoms on June 23, which is consistent with the incubation period forcyclosporiasis, the lawsuit said. — Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Symptoms usually begin about one week after consuming contaminated food or water, although the incubation period can range from about two days to two weeks, according to the CDC. — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026

Getting to the source of the outbreak has been difficult, as the incubation period for the parasite to make a person sick can be up to two weeks. — Erika Edwards, NBC news, 16 July 2026

Guran said the incubation period is two to 14 days, with seven days being the average. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incubation period

• myriad
• photoperiod

Kids Definition

incubation period

noun

1

: the period of brooding or incubating required to bring an egg to hatching

2

: the period between infection with a germ and the appearance of the disease or illness it causes

Medical Definition

incubation period

noun

: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the disease it causes

Mono, which has an incubation period of 30 to 50 days, characteristically announces itself with headaches, fever, sore throat, tonsillitis, and extreme fatigue.

—Your Health & Fitness

Quarantines worked to control the SARS epidemic because SARS is much less contagious than flu and has a longer incubation period.

—Christine Gorman, Time