incubate
verb
in·cu·bate
| \ ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt
, ˈin-\
, ˈin-\
incubated;
incubating
Definition of incubate
1a
: 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
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Other Words from incubate
incubative
\ ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbā-tiv
, ˈin- \
adjective
, ˈin- \
adjective
incubatory
\ ˈiŋ-kyə-bə-ˌtȯr-ē
, -ˌbā-tə-rē , ˈin- \
adjective
, -ˌbā-tə-rē , ˈin- \
adjective
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
The boy bands of yore were incubated in sterile, controlled corporate environments. — Carrie Battan, The New Yorker, "Brockhampton Grows Up," 2 Sep. 2019 The scientists incubated mouse sperm in a mixture containing molecules that would bind to the receptors and activate them. — Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, "Changing sperm speed can influence offspring’s sex, mouse study suggests," 13 Aug. 2019 Then, the scientists incubated the eggs under a wide range of temperatures. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Turtle Embryos May Be Able to Influence Their Sex by Moving Around Inside the Egg," 2 Aug. 2019 After surviving the Fourth of July weekend, Monty and Rose were incubating four potential chicks in their second clutch of eggs by the volleyball courts before the first one hatched. — Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, "2 plover chicks hatch as Mamby music fest floats plan to move away from Montrose Beach," 18 July 2019 The backlash In India, Draper is best known for his Silicon Valley entrepreneurship college, the Draper University, which has incubated several Indian entrepreneurs in recent years. — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz India, "American billionaire calls Modi government “pathetic and corrupt” over its bitcoin stance," 18 July 2019 London’s Smart Mobility Living Lab and Barcelona Smart City have incubated transportation and IoT technology for several years. — Fortune, "The European Shopping Center Where Technology’s Future Is Being Tracked Today," 14 July 2019 Human origins Over millions of years, Africa, Asia, and Europe incubated a dazzling array of ancient human relatives. — Maya Wei-haas, National Geographic, "Ancient DNA reveals new twists in Neanderthal migration," 26 June 2019 Israel’s social and economic success story is, cynically seen, a great big raised middle finger to the backward and stagnant quarters that incubated and harbored the likes of Osama bin Laden. — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "America’s Other ‘Special Relationship’ Remains Worth Preserving," 18 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incubate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for incubate
incubate
verb
English Language Learners Definition of incubate
of a bird
: to sit on eggs so that they will be kept warm and will hatch
of an egg
: to be kept warm before hatching
technical
: to keep (something) in the proper conditions for development
See the full definition for incubate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
incubate
verb
in·cu·bate
| \ ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt
\
\
incubated;
incubating
Kids Definition of incubate
1
: to sit upon eggs to hatch them by warmth
2
: to keep under conditions good for hatching or development
incubate
verb
in·cu·bate
| \ ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt, ˈin-
\
\
incubated;
incubating
Medical Definition of incubate
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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