incubation period

noun

: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the illness or disease it causes

Examples of incubation period in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Because the disease has an incubation period of up to 14 days, the department said the cluster exposure has ended. — Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 31 July 2026 Because Legionnaires’ disease has an incubation period of two to 14 days after exposure, the agency said that cluster exposure has officially ended. — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 31 July 2026 Health officials said that, as of Friday, the incubation period for new cases has passed. — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 31 July 2026 The cyclospora parasite’s long incubation period, the difficulty in tracking its path and what some experts have criticized as a bumpy federal response have all played a role in the widening outbreak. — Brandon Gomez, CNBC, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for incubation period

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of incubation period was in 1879

Rhymes for incubation period

See All Rhymes for incubation period

Browse Nearby Words

incubational
incubation period
incubatist
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Cite this Entry

“Incubation period.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incubation%20period. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

incubation period

noun
1
: the period of brooding or incubating required to bring an egg to hatching
2
: the period between infection with a germ and the appearance of the disease or illness it causes

Medical Definition

incubation period

noun
: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the disease it causes
Mono, which has an incubation period of 30 to 50 days, characteristically announces itself with headaches, fever, sore throat, tonsillitis, and extreme fatigue.—Your Health & Fitness
Quarantines worked to control the SARS epidemic because SARS is much less contagious than flu and has a longer incubation period.—Christine Gorman, Time
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