incubate

Universal Words verb 1 [VN] (of a bird) to sit on its eggs in order to keep them warm until they HATCH 2 [VN] (biology) to keep cells, bacteria, etc. at a suitable temperature so that they develop: The samples were incubated at 80ｰC for three minutes. 3 [VN] (be incubating sth) (medical) to have an infectious disease developing inside you before SYMPTOMS (= signs of illness) appear: The source of infection may be a person who is incubating an infectious disease. 4 [V] (medical) (of a disease) to develop slowly without showing any signs: The BSE bug incubates for three years.