WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
in•cu•ba•tion
(in′kyə bā′shən, ing′-),USA pronunciation n.
in′cu•ba′tion•al, in•cu•ba•to•ry
(in′kyə bə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē, ing′-),USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- Zoologythe act or process of incubating.
- Zoologythe state of being incubated.
- PathologySee incubation period.
- Latin incubātiōn- (stem of incubātiō). See incubate, -ion
- 1605–15;
in•cu•bate /ˈɪnkyəˌbeɪt, ˈɪŋ-/USA pronunciation
v., -bat•ed, -bat•ing.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Zoology to sit on (eggs) for hatching:[~ + object]The bird incubated its eggs.
- Zoologyto (cause eggs to) hatch, as by artificial heat: [~ + object]incubated the eggs by warming them.[no object]The eggs were incubating in that warm environment.
- [~ + object] to keep in a favorable condition to promote development, as for prematurely born infants.
in•cu•bate
(in′kyə bāt′, ing′-),USA pronunciation v., -bat•ed, -bat•ing.
v.t.
v.i.
in′cu•ba′tive, adj.
v.t.
- Zoologyto sit upon (eggs) for the purpose of hatching.
- Zoologyto hatch (eggs), as by sitting upon them or by artificial heat.
- to maintain at a favorable temperature and in other conditions promoting development, as cultures of bacteria or prematurely born infants.
- to develop or produce as if by hatching;
give form to:His brain was incubating schemes for raising money.
v.i.
- Zoologyto sit upon eggs.
- to undergo incubation.
- to develop;
grow;
take form:A plan was slowly incubating in her mind.
- Latin incubātus past participle of incubāre to lie or recline on, to sit on (eggs), equivalent. to in- in-2 + cub(āre) to sit, lie down + -ātus -ate1; compare incumbent, concubine
- 1635–45
'incubation' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
incubation period
- quarantine
- set
- sitting
- brood patch
- hepatitis B
- incubate
- incubation patch