First attested in 1641; borrowed from Latin incubātus, an alternative to incubitus, perfect passive participle of incubō (“to hatch”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + cubō (“to lie”).
释义
动词verb
1transitiveTo brood, raise, or maintain eggs, organisms, or living tissue through the provision of ideal environmental conditions.
2transitive, figurativeTo incubate metaphorically; to ponder an idea slowly and deliberately as if in preparation for hatching it.