incubate
verb
in·cu·bate
ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt 
ˈin-
incubated; incubating
1
a
: to sit on (eggs) so as to hatch by the warmth of the body
b
: to maintain (something, such as an embryo or a chemically active system) under conditions favorable for hatching, development, or reaction
2
: to cause or aid the development of
incubate an idea
Examples of incubate in a Sentence
The female bird incubates the eggs.
Researchers incubated the cells in the laboratory.
The cultures must incubate for five more days.
The virus will incubate in the body for several days before the patient experiences any symptoms.
Recent Examples on the Web
Snipes has ridden an entrepreneurial track alongside his acting career and is actively incubating several ventures in the tech space, including a mobile platform.
—
Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Oct. 2024
As generative AI tools grow more commonplace, platforms that give up on trying to blot out bots will incubate an online world in which work created by humans becomes increasingly harder to find on platforms swamped by AI.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024
As part of the partnership, Spotify will also join Universal ID 2.0, a cookie-less ad-targeting framework that was incubated by The Trade Desk years ago amid the deprecation of third-party internet tracking cookies.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
Taking time out from the rat race, allows your ideas to incubate.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incubate 
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Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Oct. 2024
As generative AI tools grow more commonplace, platforms that give up on trying to blot out bots will incubate an online world in which work created by humans becomes increasingly harder to find on platforms swamped by AI.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024
As part of the partnership, Spotify will also join Universal ID 2.0, a cookie-less ad-targeting framework that was incubated by The Trade Desk years ago amid the deprecation of third-party internet tracking cookies.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024
Taking time out from the rat race, allows your ideas to incubate.
—Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for incubate
Dictionary Entries Near incubate
Cite this Entry
“Incubate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incubate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incubate
verb
in·cu·bate
ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt
ˈin-
incubated; incubating
1
: to sit on eggs to hatch them by warmth
2
: to maintain (as bacteria or a chemically active system) under conditions good for development or reaction
3
: to go through the process of incubation
Medical Definition
incubate
verb
in·cu·bate
ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt, ˈin-
incubated; incubating
1
: to maintain (as eggs, embryos of animals, or bacteria) under prescribed and usually controlled conditions favorable for hatching or development especially in an incubator
2
: to maintain (a chemically active system) under controlled conditions for the development of a reaction
: to undergo incubation
the cultures incubated for five days
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