incubate
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
incubates;
incubated;
incubating
incubates;
incubated;
incubating
Britannica Dictionary definition of INCUBATE
1
a
[+ object]
of a bird
:
to sit on eggs so that they will be kept warm and will hatch
-
The female bird incubates the eggs.
b
[no object]
of an egg
:
to be kept warm before hatching
-
The eggs need to incubate for two weeks.
2
technical
:
to keep (something) in the proper conditions for development
— sometimes used figuratively
[+ object]
-
Researchers incubated the cells in the laboratory.
[no object]
-
The cultures must incubate for five more days.
-
The virus will incubate in the body for several days before the patient experiences any symptoms.
-
The plan had been incubating [=developing] in his mind for several weeks.
[noncount]
[count]
-
The temperature must remain steady during incubation.
-
a long incubation period [=a time during which something (such as an egg) is incubating or being incubated]
