: the period between the infection of an individual by a pathogen and the manifestation of the illness or disease it causes
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebTheir meta-analysis of 141 studies throughout the pandemic showed that the average incubation period of all cases was 6.57 days. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 Shedding from the upper respiratory tract can occur for one to three weeks and from the gastrointestinal tract for as long as six months after infection, and the incubation period is unknown, CDC officials say. Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 13 Aug. 2022 Relucio said health officials have not identified any hotel guests or employees who contracted the disease — although the incubation period can be 14 days. Phil Helsel, NBC News, 4 Aug. 2022 Canine influenza’s incubation period is between five to seven days. Howard Koplowitz | Hkoplowitz@al.com, al, 26 July 2022 The typical incubation period is seven to 14 days but can range from five to 21 days. Erin Prater, Fortune, 6 July 2022 This change was based on the authorities’ assessment that the average incubation period of the omicron variant is around two to four days, meaning the virus can be detected within seven days. Jane Li, Quartz, 29 June 2022 The incubation period for people exposed can be upwards of three weeks. Carrie Napoleon, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2022 The incubation period is usually seven to 14 days but can range from five to 21 days. Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 15 June 2022 See More
Word History
First Known Use
1879, in the meaning defined above
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