incubar

to incubate

verb een-koo-BAHR Rare

Origin: From Latin incubare (to lie upon).

Also means

to hatch

Usage Note

Incubar is used both literally (eggs in a nest or incubator) and medically (incubar una enfermedad — to be incubating an illness before symptoms appear). The medical use is common in everyday Spanish: 'creo que estoy incubando un resfriado.'

Examples

"La gallina incuba sus huevos tres semanas."

Natural Translation

The hen incubates her eggs for three weeks.

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