incubate
verb
in·cu·bate
ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt 
ˈin-
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
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
Once the eggs are laid, keepers collect them and put them in the artificial reproduction technology lab to incubate, Foster said.
—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2025
All of those- Country Music, all of those have taken time to incubate, and that has been under the system that has one foot tentatively in the marketplace and the other proudly out, kind of like the national parks or the Declaration of Independence applied to the landscape.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 July 2025
Iran’s model presented Tehran as a mentor and patron, incubating armed groups under the pretext of fighting just causes.
—Lina Khatib, Time, 19 June 2025
The researchers found that when the barks played, incubating female curlews quickly crouched in the grass to camouflage themselves and protect their nests.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for incubate
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2025
All of those- Country Music, all of those have taken time to incubate, and that has been under the system that has one foot tentatively in the marketplace and the other proudly out, kind of like the national parks or the Declaration of Independence applied to the landscape.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 July 2025
Iran’s model presented Tehran as a mentor and patron, incubating armed groups under the pretext of fighting just causes.
—Lina Khatib, Time, 19 June 2025
The researchers found that when the barks played, incubating female curlews quickly crouched in the grass to camouflage themselves and protect their nests.
—Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for incubate
Cite this Entry
“Incubate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incubate. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incubate
verb
in·cu·bate
ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt
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-
incubated; incubating
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
: to undergo incubation
the cultures incubated for five days
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