incubate
/ˈɪnkjʊbeɪt/verb
with obj.
1- (of a bird) sit on (eggs) in order to keep them warm and bring them to hatching（鸟）孵（卵）。
1.1
- (especially in a laboratory) keep (eggs, cells, bacteria, embryos, etc.) at a suitable temperature so that they develop（尤指在实验室内）培养（卵、细胞、细菌、胚胎等）：
the samples were incubated at 80℃ for 3 minutes.
这些采样品在80摄氏度下培养了三分钟。
1.2
- N. Amer. give support and aid the development of (a new small business)〈北美〉援助（新建小企业）, 孵化。
1.3
be incubating something
have an infectious disease developing inside one before symptoms appear（传染病）潜伏发展：the possibility that she was incubating early syphilis.
她（体内）潜伏着早期梅毒的可能性。
1.4
- no obj. develop slowly without outward or perceptible signs潜伏, 酝酿：
unfortunately the BSE bug incubates for around three years.
不幸的是牛海绵状脑病病菌可潜伏三年左右。
词源
mid 17th cent.: from Latin incubat- 'lain on'， from the verb incubare, from in- 'upon' + cubare 'to lie'.