incubator

noun

: one that incubates: such as
a
: an apparatus by which eggs are hatched artificially
b
: an apparatus with a chamber used to provide controlled environmental conditions especially for the cultivation of microorganisms or the care and protection of premature or sick babies
c
: an organization or place that aids the development of new business ventures especially by providing low-cost commercial space, management assistance, or shared services

Examples of incubator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Also open for lunch, Hope & Main is Rhode Island’s premier culinary incubator with its mission to empower entrepreneurs to jumpstart food businesses. Pat Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2024 The company, which brews its own beer and operates tasting rooms in Chicago and Milwaukee, is also a brewery incubator, helping launch other breweries and beverage brands. Gary Stoller, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024 Inside the lab’s incubators are thousands of agar plates, on which 17 different species of fungi—some of which have never been cultivated before—are growing in colorful splashes. Alexa Phillips, WIRED, 16 Dec. 2024 Among partner groups are Cicada Innovations, a tech incubator in Australia; EuraTechnologies in France, which bills itself as one of Europe’s largest startup incubators; and Kanagawa Science Park, a research and development business park outside Tokyo. Lorraine Mirabella, Baltimore Sun, 9 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for incubator 

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of incubator was in 1857

Dictionary Entries Near incubator

Cite this Entry

“Incubator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incubator. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

incubator

noun
: one that incubates
especially : a piece of equipment providing suitable conditions (as of warmth and moisture) for incubating something
an incubator for premature babies

Medical Definition

: one that incubates
especially : an apparatus with a chamber used to provide controlled environmental conditions especially for the cultivation of microorganisms or the care and protection of premature or sick babies

More from Merriam-Webster on incubator

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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