Word: Incubation
Basic Definition: "Incubation" is a noun that can mean two main things: 1. The process of sitting on eggs to keep them warm until they hatch into baby birds. 2. In medicine, it refers to the time between when a germ enters the body and when a person starts to feel sick.
Usage Instructions: You can use "incubation" when talking about birds, eggs, or health and infections. Remember that it is a noun, so it can be used as the subject or object in a sentence.
Examples: 1. The mother bird is in the process of incubation, keeping her eggs warm until they hatch. 2. The doctor explained that the incubation period for the flu is usually about one to four days.
Advanced Usage: In a scientific or medical context, "incubation" can refer to controlled conditions used to grow bacteria or other organisms in a lab.
Example:In the laboratory, the researchers used incubation to grow cultures of bacteria at the right temperature.
Word Variants: - "Incubate" (verb): To keep something at the right temperature for it to develop. - Example: The scientist will incubate the samples overnight. - "Incubator" (noun): A device that provides a controlled environment for incubation. - Example: The hospital uses incubators to care for premature babies.
Different Meanings: - In a broader sense, "incubation" can also refer to any process of development or preparation, like the incubation of new ideas in a startup business.
Synonyms: - For the bird-related meaning: "hatching," "brooding." - For the medical meaning: "development phase," "latent period."
Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:While "incubation" does not have specific idioms or phrasal verbs, you might come across phrases like "the incubation period of an idea" to describe the time spent developing a thought or plan before revealing it to others.
Summary: "Incubation" is a versatile word that relates to both nature (like birds) and health (like infections).