incubate

verb [I or T] (DISEASE)

/ˈɪŋ.kjʊ.beɪt/

Definition

› When harmful bacteria or viruses incubate, or when a person or animal incubates them, they increase in size or number in the person's or animal's body but do not yet produce the effects of disease.Bacteria, moulds, germs and virusesPassing on illness and causing disease incubation

/ˌɪŋ.kjʊˈbeɪ.ʃən/ noun [U] › The incubation period varies depending on the time of year when the eggs were laid. In smallpox, there is an incubation period of 8–18 days between initial infection and first symptoms.Ornithology and bird-watchingAnimal reproductionBacteria, moulds, germs and virusesPassing on illness and causing disease

(Definition of incubate verb (DISEASE) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Browse related topics

You are looking at an entry to do with Bacteria, moulds, germs & viruses, but you might be interested in these topics from the Animal & plant biology topic area: