INCUBATE


Meaning of INCUBATE in English

/ ˈɪŋkjubeɪt; NAmE / verb

1.

[ vn ] ( of a bird ) to sit on its eggs in order to keep them warm until they hatch

2.

[ vn ] ( biology ) to keep cells, bacteria, etc. at a suitable temperature so that they develop

3.

[ vn ] be incubating sth ( medical ) to have an infectious disease developing inside you before symptoms (= signs of illness) appear

4.

[ v ] ( medical ) ( of a disease ) to develop slowly without showing any signs

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WORD ORIGIN

mid 17th cent.: from Latin incubat- lain on, from the verb incubare , from in- upon + cubare to lie.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.