Etymology First attested in 1641; borrowed from Latin incubātus, an alternative to incubitus, perfect passive participle of incubō (“to hatch”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + cubō (“to lie”).
1
To brood, raise, or maintain eggs, organisms, or living tissue through the provision of ideal environmental conditions.
The places where the birds are nesting are interesting spots to visit. Both parents incubate and the scene is animated as the birds fly about in all directions.1907, “Nesting Habits of the Passenger Pigeon”, in W. B. Mershon, editor, The Passenger Pigeon:
Part of our problem in praying for our children, he suggested, is the time lage, the necessary slow maturation of our prayers. But that's the way of God's rhythm in nature. For instance, the hen must patiently sit on her eggs to incubate them before the baby chicks hatch.1975, Catherine Marshall, Adventures in Prayer, New York: Ballantine Books, page 46:
2 more examples
The mother dead these fourteen years did incubate in her own bosom the creature who would carry her off.1985, Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian […] , →OCLC:
The female cichlid fish are called "mouth breeders," which means they incubate eggs in their mouth.2004, A. J. Jacobs, The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World, New York: Simon & Schuster, page 50:
2
Figuratively To incubate metaphorically; to ponder an idea slowly and deliberately as if in preparation for hatching it.
It was a habit he developed, of incubating and maturing his thought upon a subject, and of then rushing into the type-writer with it.1908 September – 1909 September, Jack London, chapter XXIII, in Martin Eden, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, published September 1909, →OCLC:
When you've got your theme–let the concept incubate. Walk around with it, sleep on it.1992, Sheila Davis, The Songwriters Idea Book: 40 Strategies to Excite Your Imagination, Help You Design Distinctive Songs, and Keep Your Creative Flow, Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, page 96:
Etymology First attested in 1641; borrowed from Latin incubātus, an alternative to incubitus, perfect passive participle of incubō (“to hatch”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + cubō (“to lie”).
1
Biology, Chemistry, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A preparation, or material, that has been incubated.