incubation

[in-kyuh-bey-shuh n, ing-] /ˌɪn kyəˈbeɪ ʃən, ˌɪŋ-/
noun
1.
the act or process of incubating.
2.
the state of being incubated.
3.
incubation period.
Origin
1605-15; < Latin incubātiōn- (stem of incubātiō). See incubate, -ion
Related forms
incubational, incubatory
[in-kyuh-buh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ing-] /ˈɪn kyə bəˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i, ˈɪŋ-/ (Show IPA), adjective
Examples from the web for incubation
  • With this in mind, scientists began to collect eggs for captive incubation.
  • Nor are scientists aware of how long the incubation period lasts.
  • The incubation period appears to be three to seven days.
  • In both the actual insect world and the fashion icon world, the butterfly seems to have a short incubation period.
  • The worm is then funnelled into an incubation well and exposed to a dose of the potential drug.
  • The effect runs exactly opposite to earlier observations on turtles, where higher incubation temperatures produce females.
  • More interesting than corruption is the possible incubation business model for ensuring rugged industrial companies a safe haven.
  • Not to mention the continuing incubation and export of terrorism.
  • The incubation period in humans may be as long as a year, if the inoculation is small and occurs on the hand or foot.
  • The long incubation period makes it even more difficult for investigators to track the source of the outbreak.
Word Origin and History for incubation
n.

1610s, "brooding," from Latin incubationem (nominative incubatio) "a laying upon eggs," noun of action from past participle stem of incubare "to hatch," literally "to lie on, rest on," from in- "on" (see in- (2)) + cubare "to lie" (see cubicle). The literal sense of "sitting on eggs to hatch them" first recorded in English 1640s.

incubation in Medicine

incubation in·cu·ba·tion (ĭn'kyə-bā'shən, ĭng'-)
n.

  1. The act of incubating or the state of being incubated.

  2. The maintenance of controlled environmental conditions for the purpose of favoring the growth or development of microbial or tissue cultures.

  3. The maintenance of an infant, especially a premature infant, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration in order to provide optimal conditions for growth and development.

  4. The development of an infection from the time the pathogen enters the body until signs or symptoms first appear.

incubation in Science
incubation
  (ĭn'kyə-bā'shən)   

  1. The act of warming eggs in order to hatch them, as by a bird sitting upon a clutch of eggs in a nest.

  2. The act of keeping an organism, a cell, or cell culture in conditions favorable for growth and development.

  3. The maintenance of an infant, especially one that is ill or born before the usual gestation period, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration in order to provide optimal conditions for growth and development.

  4. The development of an infection from the time the pathogen enters the body until signs or symptoms first appear.


incubate verb
Encyclopedia Article for incubation

the maintenance of uniform conditions of temperature and humidity to ensure the development of eggs or, under laboratory conditions, of certain experimental organisms, especially bacteria. The phrase incubation period designates the time from the commencement of incubation to hatching. It also is the time between the infection of an animal by a disease organism and the first appearance of symptoms.

Learn more about incubation with a free trial on Britannica.com