incubation

/ˌɪŋkjəˈbeɪʃən/
noun
  1. The process of keeping eggs warm so that they hatch, or keeping something in a controlled environment for development.
    • The incubation of chicken eggs takes about 21 days.
    • During incubation, the eggs must be kept at a steady temperature.
    • The lab uses a special chamber for the incubation of bacterial cultures.
  2. The period between exposure to a disease and the appearance of the first symptoms.
    • Doctors are studying the incubation of the virus to understand how it spreads.
    • The incubation for the flu is usually one to four days.
    • After exposure, the patient entered a short incubation phase before feeling sick.
  3. The process of developing an idea, plan, or project over time.
    • Good ideas often need a period of incubation before they are ready.
    • The novel was the result of years of incubation in the author's mind.
    • The company's new product went through a long incubation phase.
What does "incubation" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean