Dictionary

incubation en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪnkjuːˈbeɪʃən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɪnkjuˈbeɪʃən/ (Canada, General-American)
• (Texas) audio

Etymology

From Latin incubātiō, from incubō (“to lie on”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young; a brooding on, or keeping warm, to develop the life within, by any process.
2. (countable, uncountable) The development of a disease from its causes, or the period of such development.
   • 1829, A Practical Synopsis of Cutaneous Diseases The course of small-pox, whether distinct or confluent, may be divided into five stages, which are known under the names of incubation, invasion, eruption, suppuration, and desiccation. This division, founded on the most prominent symptoms that the disease presents, although it is an arbitrary one, still affords a facility in the study. The period of incubation comprises the interval of time that elapses from the infection to the beginning of the attack; its duration is from six to twenty days. It is not designated by any visible symptom, as the individual apparently continues in good health.
3. (countable, uncountable) A period of little reaction which is followed by more rapid reaction.
4. (countable, uncountable) One of the four proposed stages of creativity (preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification): the unconscious recombination of thought elements that were stimulated through conscious work at one point in time, resulting in novel ideas at a later point.
5. (countable, uncountable) Sleeping in a temple or other holy place in order to have oracular dreams or to receive healing.
   • Incubation in the vicinity of burial places, cremation grounds, holy wells and sacred streams was common. The ancient Hebrews visited vaults or slept among tombs to get meaningful dreams. 1978, Benjamin Walker, Encyclopedia of Metaphysical Medicine, Routledge, page 144:

Forms

Deriveds

microincubation · incubation period · incubational · incubation time · reincubation · immunoincubation · postincubation · coincubation · preincubation

Relateds

incubative · incubate · incubator

Translations (43)

gl incubación (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · grc ἐγκοίμησις (sleeping in a consecrated place for the purpose of dreaming oracular dreams) · ar حِضَانَة (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · ca incubació (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · pt incubação (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · ko 부화 (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · ja インキュベーション (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · de Inkubation (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · nb ruging (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · ru выси́живание (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · fr incubation (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · bg мътене (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · el επώαση (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · ca covament (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · hu lappangás (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · ro incubație (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · it cova (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · es incubación (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · cmn 孵化 (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · it covatura (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · ja 孵化 (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · it cova delle uova (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · hu lappangási idő (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · nn ruging (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · de Bebrütung (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · ru инкуба́ция (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · fi itäminen (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · ru инкуба́ция (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · es incubación (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · nb inkubasjon (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · it incubazione (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · it incubazione (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · kix vēupōk (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · nn inkubasjon (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · el εγκοίμηση (sleeping in a consecrated place for the purpose of dreaming oracular dreams) · hu költés (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · as উমনি (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · el επώαση (development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation) · hu keltetés (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · ga gor (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · hu kotlás (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · fi hautominen (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young) · ar تَفْرِيخ (sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young)