verb
incubate
ING-kyoo-bayt/ˈɪŋkjubeɪt/
To maintain favorable conditions for living material to develop.
The hen incubates her eggs by keeping them warm beneath her.
Etymology
“Lie upon” gives the image of a bird sitting on its eggs to hatch them. Keeping eggs warm preserves the purpose of that bodily action.
In context
Brown pelicans incubate their eggs with the skin of their feet by standing on top of them.
More examples
- Researchers incubate the bacteria at a carefully controlled temperature.
- These eggs must incubate for several weeks before they hatch.
- The program helps students incubate new business ideas.
Forms
incubate · incubates · incubated · incubating
incubation noun — Keeping living material under favorable developmental conditions.
incubator noun — Device that maintains conditions for biological development.