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

The reason for more infections, and possibly more deaths, is the incubation period for listeria may last more than two months. —Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2024

The incubation period for Crypto is two to 10 days, with most people developing symptoms within seven days of exposure. —Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 16 Aug. 2024

The incubation period, the time between infection and symptoms, is usually 6 to 13 days but can be 5 to 21 days. —George Petras, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2024

The incubation period, which is the time between getting infected and showing symptoms, can be three to 17 days. —Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

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