Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
906,265,657 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

incubation

   Also found in: Medical, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
in·cu·ba·tion  (nky-bshn, ng-)
n.
1.
a. The act of incubating.
b. 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.

incu·bation·al adj.

incubation  (nky-bshn)
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
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.incubationincubation - maintaining something at the most favorable temperature for its development
care, tending, attention, aid - the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something; "no medical care was required"; "the old car needs constant attention"
2.incubation - (pathology) the phase in the development of an infection between the time a pathogen enters the body and the time the first symptoms appear
pathology - the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases
infection - the pathological state resulting from the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms
phase, stage - any distinct time period in a sequence of events; "we are in a transitional stage in which many former ideas must be revised or rejected"
3.incubationincubation - sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
birthing, giving birth, parturition, birth - the process of giving birth
Translations
Spanish incubation [ɪnkjuˈbeɪʃən] nincubación f
French incubation [ɪnkjuˈbeɪʃən] nincubation f
German incubation [ɪnkjuˈbeɪʃən] incubate nAusbrüten nt;
(of illness) → Inkubation f

Italian incubation [ɪnkjuˈbeɪʃən] nincubazione f

?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Each adult Martian female brings forth about thirteen eggs each year, and those which meet the size, weight, and specific gravity tests are hidden in the recesses of some subterranean vault where the temperature is too low for incubation.
To this end I bent my intellect, and, after a week of profound incubation, I hatched the scheme.
Will saw clearly enough the pitiable instances of long incubation producing no chick, and but for gratitude would have laughed at Casaubon, whose plodding application, rows of note-books, and small taper of learned theory exploring the tossed ruins of the world, seemed to enforce a moral entirely encouraging to Will's generous reliance on the intentions of the universe with regard to himself.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.