incubations

incubations — noun

  • incubationssingular
  • incubationsesplural

1. the process of keeping eggs or other living material in conditions that let them

1.名詞C1
釋義

the process of keeping eggs or other living material in conditions that let them grow until they are ready to hatch or develop further

例句

The farm recorded three successful incubations of duck eggs this spring.

successful incubations of eggs

Eve watched the butterfly incubations through the glass box in class.

incubations observed in class

同義詞
  • hatching

    focuses only on eggs producing young animals, not every controlled growth process

  • brooding

    usually describes a bird sitting on eggs rather than a general scientific process

  • cultivation

    is broader and can describe helping plants, cells, or skills develop

文法句型

successful incubations of eggs

incubations in a lab

delay incubations with power loss

用法筆記

This sense is used for the growing process itself, especially with eggs, embryos, or cultures. It often appears in scientific or farming contexts when separate attempts or batches are being counted.

常見錯誤

❌The lab measured three incubation periods for the eggs.
✅The lab recorded three incubations for the eggs.
💡For eggs or cultures, this sense names the process itself, not the medical period before symptoms.

2. the length of time between catching an infection and showing the first signs of

2.名詞C1
釋義

the length of time between catching an infection and showing the first signs of illness

例句

Doctors compared the incubations of two stomach viruses after the school trip.

compare incubations across diseases

Short incubations made the food poisoning spread through the wedding guests quickly.

short incubations of an illness

同義詞
  • latent period

    is a technical term and may be narrower than the everyday medical use of this sense

文法句型

short incubations of a virus

long incubations can delay tracing

compare incubations across diseases

用法筆記

This sense belongs mainly to medicine and public-health reporting. It names the symptom-free period before illness becomes visible, not the disease itself or the symptoms after they begin.

常見錯誤

❌The virus had a short incubation after the fever began.
✅The virus had a short incubation before the fever began.
💡This sense ends when the first symptoms start.