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
Both parents incubate the egg for about 60 days and feed their offspring for six months, according to the study.
—
Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025
However, the endothelial cells incubated in serum from marijuana smokers released 27% less nitric oxide than those treated with blood from nonsmokers.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Both male and female parents share roles and switch duties, including foraging for food, incubating the eggs and rearing the chicks, which tend to start fledging in June.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Which is a very novel concept, because most things are incubated in the States or maybe overseas in the U.K.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for incubate
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.
Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 24 June 2025
However, the endothelial cells incubated in serum from marijuana smokers released 27% less nitric oxide than those treated with blood from nonsmokers.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
Both male and female parents share roles and switch duties, including foraging for food, incubating the eggs and rearing the chicks, which tend to start fledging in June.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025
Which is a very novel concept, because most things are incubated in the States or maybe overseas in the U.K.
—H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 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 11 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share