: to maintain (something, such as an embryo or a chemically active system) under conditions favorable for hatching, development, or reaction. The female bird incubates the eggs. Researchers incubated the cells in the laboratory. The cultures must incubate for five more days. 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. INCUBATE definition: 1. When a bird, etc. incubates its eggs, it keeps them warm until the young come out, and when eggs…. Learn more. Incubation is the development of an infection, an embryo, or a culture under controlled conditions. Learn the meanings, periods, and applications of incubation in different medical contexts from various sources.
