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incubation

 - 7 dictionary results

in⋅cu⋅ba⋅tion

  [in-kyuh-bey-shuhn, ing-]
Use incubation in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act or process of incubating.
2. the state of being incubated.
3. incubation period.
Origin:
1605–15; < L incubātiōn- (s. of incubātiō). See incubate, -ion

Related forms:
in⋅cu⋅ba⋅tion⋅al, in⋅cu⋅ba⋅to⋅ry  [in-kyuh-buh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee, ing-] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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in·cu·ba·tion   (ĭn'kyə-bā'shən, ĭng'-)   
n.  

    1. The act of incubating.

    2. The state of being incubated.

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

  3. Medicine 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.

in'cu·ba'tion·al adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

incubation 
1614, "brooding," from L. incubationem (nom. incubatio) "a laying upon eggs," from incubatus, pp. of incubare "to hatch," lit. "to lie on," from in- "on" + cubare "to lie." The lit. sense of "sitting on eggs to hatch them" first recorded in Eng. 1646. The verb incubate is first attested 1721. Incubator "apparatus for hatching eggs by artificial heat" first attested 1857.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·cu·ba·tion
Pronunciation: "i[ng]-ky&-'bA-sh&n, "in-
Function: noun
1 : the act or process of incubating
2 : INCUBATION PERIOD —in·cu·ba·tion·al /-shn&l, -sh&n-&l/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

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.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
incubation   (ĭn'kyə-bā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 

  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
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

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.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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