動詞 incubate:

1. grow under conditions that promote development
2. sit on (eggs)
   同義詞：brood, hatch, cover

1. Some viruses incubate very rapidly.
   有些病毒繁殖得很迅速。

in.cu.bate

v.（動詞）
in.cu.bat.ed,in.cu.bat.ing,in.cu.bates
v.tr.（及物動詞）
To sit on (eggs) to provide heat, so as to promote embryonic development and the hatching of young; brood.
孵化：坐在（蛋）上以提供熱量，促進胚胎的生長和孵化出小生命；孵卵

To maintain (eggs, organisms, or living tissue) at optimal environmental conditions for growth and development.
培育：使（蛋、器官或生長組織）保持在一種適宜的環(huán)境條件下，以便生長和發(fā)育
To maintain (a chemical or biochemical system) under specific conditions in order to promote a particular reaction.
使在最佳狀況下：把（化學或生化系統(tǒng)）置于特定條件下，以促進某種特定反應的發(fā)生
To form or consider slowly and protectively, as if hatching:
醞釀：緩慢而有創(chuàng)造性地組織或思考，就象孵化一樣：
例句：
incubated the idea for a while, then announced it.
醞釀了一會兒想法，然后把它宣布出來

v.intr.（不及物動詞）
To brood eggs.
孵蛋
To develop and hatch.
生長與孵化
To undergo incubation.
進行醞釀、孵化

來源：
Latin incub3re incub3t- [to lie down on]
拉丁語 incub3re incub3t- [躺（臥）在…上面]
in- [on] * see in- 2
in- [在…上] *參見 in-2
cub3re [to lie down]
cub3re [躺下]

【引伸】
in.cuba.tive
adj.（形容詞）