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

The viral illness can come on quickly once someone is infected, with an incubation period of between two to 21 days, the World Health Organization says. —Sara Moniuszko, CBS News, 29 Oct. 2024

The incubation period for the virus is between two and 21 days. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024

That said, the incubation period for E. coli is only a couple of days, so illness would be quickly apparent to anyone affected, said Donald Schaffner, a food safety expert at Rutgers University. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 23 Oct. 2024

That longer incubation period has allowed Holmes to find new staff to help run and maintain the kitchen, as well as tinker and ready new items for the menu. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

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