in·cu·bate
 incubate
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- pronunciation:
- Ingk
y
beIt
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
incubates, incubating, incubated |
| definition: |
to keep warm until time to hatch.
A hen incubates her eggs by sitting on them. |
| related words: |
hatch |
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| derivation: |
incubative (adj.) |
Incubate comes from
incubare, a Latin word that means "to lie on." A hen lies on its eggs to keep them warm enough for growth and life to continue.