incubation

n. act or process of incubating; hatching; growing, development; incubation period, time between the contraction of an infection and the appearance of symptoms

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.
See more at Wikipedia.org...

Noun
1. maintaining something at the most favorable temperature for its development
(hypernym) care, attention, aid, tending
(derivation) incubate
2. (pathology) the phase in the development of an infection between the time a pathogen enters the body and the time the first symptoms appear
(hypernym) phase, stage
(part-holonym) infection
(derivation) incubate
(classification) pathology
3. sitting on eggs so as to hatch them by the warmth of the body
(synonym) brooding
(hypernym) parturition, birth, giving birth, birthing
(derivation) brood, hatch, cover, incubate

n. incubation, incubate, incubator

(n.)
The development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation. (See below.)
  

(n.)
A sleeping in a consecrated place for the purpose of dreaming oracular dreams.
  

(n.)
A sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young; a brooding on, or keeping warm, (eggs) to develop the life within, by any process.