INCUBATION

The word 'incubation' (from the Latin ''incubare'', "to lie upon") can mean the following:
Physical incubation:

★ The term Avian incubation is applied to sitting on or brooding bird's eggs in order to hatch them.

★ In chemistry or biochemistry, incubation refers to maintaining a system under specific conditions in order to promote a particular reaction.

★ An incubation period in medicine means the time between being exposed to infection and showing first symptoms.

★ Incubator (microbiology), refers to maintaining a bacterial culture at a particular temperature for a set length of time, in order to measure bacterial growth.

★ An incubator for warming newborn infants. See Neonatal intensive care unit.
As a metaphor:

★ In economics and management, incubation refers to the support provided by business incubators in the development phase of startups when entrepreneurs work on the launch of their companies.

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Other:

★ Incubation (ritual): the religious practice of sleeping in a sacred area with the intention of experiencing a divinely-inspired dream or cure.

★ Incubation (computer game) is a computer game.

★ Incubation (song) is a song by Joy Division, released on the B-side of the Komakino flexi-single in 1980, and on the Substance album in 1988.

★ Incubator (band) is a German heavy metal band.

★ The episode Incubator of the sci-fi series Farscape.