incubator

[in-kyuh-bey-ter, ing-] /ˈɪn kyəˌbeɪ tər, ˈɪŋ-/
noun
1.
an apparatus in which eggs are hatched artificially.
2.
an enclosed apparatus in which prematurely born infants are kept in controlled conditions, as of temperature, for protection and care.
3.
an apparatus in which media inoculated with microorganisms are cultivated at a constant temperature.
4.
a person or thing that incubates.
Origin
1855-60; < Late Latin: literally, one who lies in or upon (something). See incubate, -tor
Examples from the web for incubator
  • The new bladder is nurtured in an incubator that mimics body conditions, allowing the cells to grow and knit together.
  • Graduate school is gaining a reputation as an incubator for anxiety and depression.
  • Regardless of what it might do for the economy, it could prove a useful incubator of political loyalties.
  • After a few years of work in such an incubator, our students will be completely different people with unique experiences.
  • Farms where animals are reared intensively also provide an incubator for drug-resistant diseases.
  • Not exactly the fluid, free thinking incubator required for innovative software.
  • Government is, however, an excellent incubator for risky technology and endeavors that private industry shies away from.
  • It can be delivered and kept alive in the incubator.
  • Lanza announces that he's taking the incubator key to guarantee peace, quiet, and darkness for the nascent cells.
  • Shepherd places a bioreactor inside an incubator where it will be pumped with a growth medium for a few days.
British Dictionary definitions for incubator

incubator

/ˈɪnkjʊˌbeɪtə/
noun
1.
(med) an enclosed transparent boxlike apparatus for housing prematurely born babies under optimum conditions until they are strong enough to survive in the normal environment
2.
a container kept at a constant temperature in which birds' eggs can be artificially hatched or bacterial cultures grown
3.
a person, animal, or thing that incubates
4.
a commercial property, divided into small work units, which provides equipment and support to new businesses
Word Origin and History for incubator
n.

"apparatus for hatching eggs by artificial heat," 1845, from incubate + -or.

incubator in Medicine

incubator in·cu·ba·tor (ĭn'kyə-bā'tər, ĭng'-)
n.

  1. An apparatus in which environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, can be controlled, often used for growing bacterial cultures, hatching eggs artificially, or providing suitable conditions for a chemical or biological reaction.

  2. An apparatus for maintaining an infant, especially a premature infant, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration.

incubator in Science
incubator
  (ĭn'kyə-bā'tər)   

  1. An apparatus in which environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity, can be controlled, often used for growing bacterial cultures, hatching eggs artificially, or providing suitable conditions for a chemical or biological reaction.

  2. An apparatus for maintaining an infant, especially one that is ill or born before the usual gestation period, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration.


incubator in Culture

incubator definition


A specialized crib used in caring for infants, in which the temperature and oxygen content of the air can be controlled. Often, babies who are born prematurely will be placed in an incubator until they have become strong enough to be housed in a regular crib.

Encyclopedia Article for incubator

an insulated enclosure in which temperature, humidity, and other environmental conditions can be regulated at levels optimal for growth, hatching, or reproduction. There are three principal kinds of incubators: poultry incubators, infant incubators, and bacteriological incubators.

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