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
The first stage was to incubate it in Tabuk, here at the King Khalid Sports City Stadium, and then transplant it to The Line a decade from now, just in time for the 2034 World Cup.
—
James Montague, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Among those remaining eggs are some that were incubated at a temperature that would likely result in male tortoises.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
In its earliest days when it was incubated by founder Mark Zuckerberg in his Harvard dorm room, Facebook had a central goal of connecting people with their classmates, friends and family members.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
In her second season with Scout, Bella laid her eggs Feb. 10, Feb. 13 and Feb. 16, then spent the next five weeks alternating with Scout to incubate them around the clock.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for incubate
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James Montague, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Among those remaining eggs are some that were incubated at a temperature that would likely result in male tortoises.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
In its earliest days when it was incubated by founder Mark Zuckerberg in his Harvard dorm room, Facebook had a central goal of connecting people with their classmates, friends and family members.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025
In her second season with Scout, Bella laid her eggs Feb. 10, Feb. 13 and Feb. 16, then spent the next five weeks alternating with Scout to incubate them around the clock.
—Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 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 22 May. 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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