incubations

incubations — noun

  • incubationssingular
  • incubationsesplural

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

1.nounC1
Definition

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

Example

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

Common collocations
  • successful incubations
  • artificial incubations
  • long incubations
  • egg incubations
Synonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

successful incubations of eggs

incubations in a lab

delay incubations with power loss

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.nounC1
Definition

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

Example

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

Common collocations
  • short incubations
  • long incubations
  • viral incubations
  • compare incubations
Synonyms
  • latent period

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

Grammar Patterns

short incubations of a virus

long incubations can delay tracing

compare incubations across diseases

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

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.

Etymology

First known use

1646

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1