An incubation period is the span of time between exposure to an infectious disease and the start of symptoms. It’s usually measured in days or weeks. What is an incubation period?

Understanding the Context

An incubation period is the time interval between exposure to a pathogen (e.g., virus, bacteria, or parasite) and the onset of signs or symptoms of illness in an infected person. incubation noun [U] (OF DISEASE) the process or period of time in which harmful bacteria or viruses increase in size or number in a person's or animal's body but do not yet produce the effects of disease: Incubation The time period between exposure to an infectious agent, such as a virus or bacteria, and the appearance of symptoms of illness. Definition of incubation noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Key Insights

INCUBATION definition: the act or process of incubating. See examples of incubation used in a sentence. incubation (countable and uncountable, plural incubations) Sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young; a brooding on, or keeping warm, to develop the life within, by any process. incubation, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary