INCUBATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does incubation mean? 

• INCUBATION (noun)
  The noun INCUBATION has 3 senses:

1. maintaining something at the most favorable temperature for its development

2. (pathology) the phase in the development of an infection between the time a pathogen enters the body and the time the first symptoms appear

3. sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body

  Familiarity information: INCUBATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INCUBATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Maintaining something at the most favorable temperature for its development

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("incubation" is a kind of...):

aid; attention; care; tending (the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something)

Derivation:

incubate (grow under conditions that promote development)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(pathology) the phase in the development of an infection between the time a pathogen enters the body and the time the first symptoms appear

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("incubation" is a kind of...):

phase; stage (any distinct time period in a sequence of events)

Domain category:

pathology (the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases)

Holonyms ("incubation" is a part of...):

infection (the pathological state resulting from the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms)

Derivation:

incubate (grow under conditions that promote development)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

brooding; incubation

Hypernyms ("incubation" is a kind of...):

birth; birthing; giving birth; parturition (the process of giving birth)

Derivation:

incubate (sit on (eggs))

 Context examples 

A genus of the family Retroviridae consisting of non-oncogenic retroviruses that produce multi-organ diseases characterized by long incubation periods and persistent infection.

(Lentivirus, NCI Thesaurus)

Monocytes made cytotoxic by ex vivo incubation with cytokines, especially interferon-gamma.

(Monocyte, Activated Killer, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The study found that this process is made possible as a result of the changes that occur in the eggshell nanostructure during the incubation period.

(Study paves way for healthier and more robust eggs, University of Granada)

Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells are CD3- and CD56-positive, non-major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted, natural killer (NK)-like T lymphocytes, generated ex-vivo by incubation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) with anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-1, and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and then expanded.

(Cytokine-Induced Killer Cells, NCI Thesaurus)

An acute viral infection of the respiratory tract, occurring in isolated cases, in epidemics, or in pandemics; it is caused by serologically different strains of viruses (influenzaviruses) designated A, B, and C, has a 3-day incubation period, and usually lasts for 3 to 10 days.

(Influenza, NCI Thesaurus)

Eggshells are strong enough to resist fractures during the incubation period.

(Study paves way for healthier and more robust eggs, University of Granada)