INCUBATE


Meaning of INCUBATE in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ ˈiŋ-kyə-ˌbāt, ˈin- ]

verb

( -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 -ˌbā-tiv adjective

• in·cu·ba·to·ry -kyə-bə-ˌtȯr-ē, -ˌbā-tə-rē adjective

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.