Incubated

To incubate means to keep something, such as eggs or ideas, at a suitable temperature or in ideal conditions for development. This can involve providing warmth, protection, and the necessary time for growth or maturation. Figuratively, it describes fostering or nurturing something, like a business idea, to allow it to develop and thrive. The process often requires careful monitoring and adjustments to optimize the environment for the desired outcome. It implies a period of careful tending and the patient expectation of eventual fruition. This can range from a simple egg hatching or the careful cultivation of a complex scientific breakthrough.

Incubated meaning with examples

• The farmer carefully incubated the chicken eggs in a temperature-controlled incubator, turning them regularly to ensure even development. This process was vital for a successful chick hatch. The temperature had to be perfect.
• The startup company incubated its innovative software idea within a co-working space, providing resources and support to nurture the project from its inception to the first working models of the code.
• She incubated her artistic ideas for months, sketching and experimenting before finally committing to a new painting. All ideas needed that time of reflection.
• Scientists incubated cell cultures in a lab to study their growth under various conditions, observing how different factors affected cellular behavior for data collection.
• The company decided to incubate new product ideas through focus groups to collect feedback and analyze consumer acceptance.