incubator

noun

in·​cu·​ba·​tor ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbā-tər 

ˈin-

: one that incubates: such as

a

: an apparatus by which eggs are hatched artificially

b

: an apparatus with a chamber used to provide controlled environmental conditions especially for the cultivation of microorganisms or the care and protection of premature or sick babies

c

: an organization or place that aids the development of new business ventures especially by providing low-cost commercial space, management assistance, or shared services

Examples of incubator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In parallel, several start-ups and engineering teams are already using W7-X data to inform conceptual power-plant designs, which shows us the experiment’s role as an incubator for both industry and academia. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Dec. 2025

In practice, eggs and sperm retrieved at a small satellite office can be sealed in tubes and placed in a G95 portable incubator, which is kept at 37°C, and then transported by car to a central laboratory for fertilization and embryo culture. —Matt Emma, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025

The park released photos and video showing the newborn squealing in an incubator and nestled against his mother. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025

The development authority offered the space for Alchemist CDC to place one of its incubator businesses. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 7 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for incubator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Kids Definition

incubator

noun

in·​cu·​ba·​tor ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt-ər 

ˈin-

: one that incubates

especially : a piece of equipment providing suitable conditions (as of warmth and moisture) for incubating something

an incubator for premature babies

Medical Definition

incubator

noun

in·​cu·​ba·​tor ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt-ər, ˈin- 

: one that incubates

especially : an apparatus with a chamber used to provide controlled environmental conditions especially for the cultivation of microorganisms or the care and protection of premature or sick babies