v.
Pronunciation: ' i ŋ -ky ə - ˌ b ā t, ' in-
Function: verb
Inflected Form: -bat · ed ; -bat · ing
Etymology: Latin incubatus, past participle of incubare, from in- + cubare to lie
Date: 1641
transitive verb
1 a : to sit on (eggs) so as to hatch by the warmth of the body b : to maintain (as an embryo or a chemically active system) under conditions favorable for hatching, development, or reaction
2 : to cause or aid the development of < incubate an idea>
intransitive verb
1 : to sit on eggs
2 : to undergo incubation : DEVELOP
– in · cu · ba · tive \ - ˌ b ā -tiv \ adjective
– in · cu · ba · to · ry \ -ky ə -b ə - ˌ to ̇ r- ē , - ˌ b ā -t ə -r ē \ adjective