in·cu·bate
 incubate
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- pronunciation:
- Ingk
y
beIt
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb), Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
incubates, incubating, incubated |
| definition 1: |
to keep (eggs) warm until time to hatch.
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| definition 2: |
to provide ideal conditions for the growth and development of (a prematurely born child or a bacterial culture).
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| related words: |
brood, hatch |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to keep eggs warm until they hatch.
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| definition 2: |
to undergo development by incubation.
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| definition 3: |
to mature and hatch.
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| derivation: |
incubative (adj.) |
Incubate comes from
incubare, a Latin word that means "to lie on." A hen lies on its eggs to keep them warm enough for growth and life to continue.