incubate
verb- [transitive] incubate something
(of a bird )鸟 to sit on its eggs in order to keep them warm until they hatch 孵(卵);孵化 - [transitive] incubate something (
biology )生物 to keep cells, bacteria, etc. at a suitable temperature so that they develop 培养(细胞、细菌等) The samples were incubated at 80°C for three minutes. 样品在80℃孵育三分钟。
- [transitive] be incubating something(
medical )医学 to have a disease developing inside you before symptoms appear 有(传染病在体内)潜伏 The source of infection may be a person who is incubating an infectious disease. 传染源可能是正在孕育传染病的人。
- [intransitive] (
medical )医学 (of a disease )疾病 to develop slowly without showing any signs 潜伏
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin incubat- ‘lain on’, from the verb incubare, from in- ‘upon’ + cubare ‘to lie’.