inc
u
bate
Third Person
incubates
Present Participle
incubating
Past Tense
incubated
Past Participle
incubated
1
to keep an egg in a favorable condition to help it develop until it hatches
- The mother hen incubated her eggs in the cozy nest she had made.
- Some fish species build nests where they incubate their eggs until they are ready to hatch.
- The penguin parents took turns to incubate their egg.
- The mother crocodile patiently incubated her clutch of eggs buried in the sand.
- Birds of prey like eagles build large nests where they incubate their eggs and raise their chicks.
2
grow under conditions that promote development
3
to have an infectious disease developing inside one's body without any perceptible signs
4
(of a disease or virus) to develop gradually without showing any symptoms
5
to retain something such as eggs or bacteria in a favorable condition to help them develop