Definition of "incubation" []

• The act of incubating. (noun)
• The state of being incubated. (noun)
• Medicine The development of an infection from the time the pathogen enters the body until signs or symptoms first appear. (noun)
• Medicine The maintenance of an infant, especially a premature infant, in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity, and oxygen concentration in order to provide optimal conditions for growth and development. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "CLEMENT: These are cases that have what we call incubation, that is, they have a respirator on them to assist breathing."
• "But rabies incubation is very long, said Zhen Fu, DVM Ph. D., professor of pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia."
• "THE RAT TRAP: In need of creative solace for various writing ventures that are still in long-term incubation, I headed alone to the Finborough Theatre in Chelsea to witness some actors putting themselves through the mill at the outer limits of the creative world."