incubation

2 definitions • 4 examples

the process in which a bird, etc. keeps its eggs warm until the young come out, or the process in which an egg develops until the stage at which the young come out:

incubation period The incubation period varies depending on the time of year when the eggs were laid.

The chemical makes eggshells so thin and porous that they break during incubation.

the process or period of time in which harmful bacteria or viruses increase in size or number in a person's or animal's body but do not yet produce the effects of disease:

incubation period In smallpox, there is an incubation period of 8–18 days between initial infection and first symptoms.

After about two weeks of incubation, symptoms begin.