incubation science definition

1. The act of warming eggs in order to hatch them, as by a bird sitting upon a clutch of eggs in a nest.
2. The act of keeping an organism, a cell, or cell culture in conditions favorable for growth and development.
3. The maintenance of an infant, especially one that is ill or born before the usual gestation period, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration in order to provide optimal conditions for growth and development.
4. The development of an infection from the time the pathogen enters the body until signs or symptoms first appear.

Related Forms:

• incubate incubate verb