n. [ Cf. Crinkle. ] A twist or bend; a turn; a whimsey. [ Colloq. ] Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A twist; a whimsey or whim. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. & t. [ imp. & p. p. Incubated p. pr. & vb. n. Incubating ] [ L. incubatus, p. p. incubare to lie on; pref. in- in, on + cubare to lie down. Cf. Cubit, Incumbent. ] 1. To sit, as on eggs for hatching; to brood; to brood upon, or keep warm, as eggs, for the purpose of hatching. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To maintain (a living organism, such as microorganisms or a premature baby) under appropriate conditions, such as of temperature, humidity, or atmospheric composition, for growth; as, coliform bacteria grow best when incubated at 37° C.. [ PJC ]

3. To develop gradually in some interior environment, until fully formed; as, the ideas for his book were incubating for two years before he began to write. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. incubatio: cf. F. incubation. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A sitting on eggs for the purpose of hatching young; a brooding on, or keeping warm, (eggs) to develop the life within, by any process. Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) The development of a disease from its causes, or its period of incubation. (See below.) [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A sleeping in a consecrated place for the purpose of dreaming oracular dreams. Tylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The maintenance (of a living organism, such as microorganisms or a premature baby) in appropriate conditions, such as of temperature, humidity, or atmospheric composition, for growth. [ PJC ]

5. The gradual development in some interior environment, until fully formed; as, the incubation time for developing a new drug may be longer than ten years from its first discovery. [ PJC ]

Period of incubation, or
Stage of incubation (Med.), the period which elapses between exposure to the causes of an infectious disease and the attack resulting from it; the time during which an infective agent must grow in the body before producing overt symptoms of disease. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. Of or pertaining to incubation, or to the period of incubation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. That which incubates, especially, an apparatus by means of which eggs are hatched by artificial heat. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An apparatus containing an enclosed chamber, used for the cultivation of microörganisms or tissue cultures by maintaining a suitable temperature and atmospheric composition. Some incubators have no provision for maintaining a special atmosphere, while in others, especially for anaerobic organisms and tissue culture, the moisture level and composition of the gases are also controlled. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

3. (Med.) An apparatus consisting of enclosed chamber, for maintaining prematurely born babies in a favorable environment until able to thrive under normal conditions. The temperature and level of oxygen in the atmosphere may be controlled. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

a. Serving for incubation. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To fix firmly, as in cube; to secure or place firmly. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. L. incubitus. ] Incubation. [ Obs. ] J. Ellis. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From L. incubare to lie on. ] (Bot.) Having the leaves so placed that the upper part of each one covers the base of the leaf next above it, as in hepatic mosses of the genus Frullania. See Succubous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. E. Incubuses L. Incubi [ L., the nightmare. Cf. Incubate. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A demon; a fiend; a lascivious spirit, supposed to have sexual intercourse with women by night. Tylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

The devils who appeared in the female form were generally called succubi; those who appeared like men incubi, though this distinction was not always preserved. Lecky. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) The nightmare. See Nightmare. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such as are troubled with incubus, or witch-ridden, as we call it. Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Any oppressive encumbrance or burden; anything that prevents the free use of the faculties. [ 1913 Webster ]

Debt and usury is the incubus which weighs most heavily on the agricultural resources of Turkey. J. L. Farley. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Inculcated; p. pr. & vb. n. Inculcating ] [ L. inculcatus, p. p. of inculcare to tread on; pref. in- in, on + calcare to tread, fr. calx the heel; perh. akin to E. heel. Cf. 2d Calk, Heel. ] To teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions; to urge on the mind; as, Christ inculcates on his followers humility. [ 1913 Webster ]

The most obvious and necessary duties of life they have not yet had authority enough to enforce and inculcate upon men's minds. S. Clarke.

Syn. -- To instill; infuse; implant; engraft; impress. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. inculcatio: cf. F. inculcation. ] A teaching and impressing by frequent repetitions. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] One who inculcates. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. F. inculquer. See Inculcate. ] To inculcate. [ Obs. ] Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. inculper. See Inculpate. ] To inculpate. [ Obs. ] Shelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. inculpabilis: cf. F. incupable. ] Faultless; blameless; innocent. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

An innocent and incupable piece of ignorance. Killingbeck. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Blamelessness; faultlessness. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Blamelessly. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Inculpated p. pr. & vb. n. Inculpating ] [ LL. inculpatus, p. p. of inculpare to blame; pref. in- in + culpa fault. See Culpable. ] [ A word of recent introduction. ] To blame; to impute guilt to; to accuse; to involve or implicate in guilt. Contrasted with exculpate. [ 1913 Webster ]

That risk could only exculpate her and not inculpate them -- the probabilities protected them so perfectly. H. James. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. inculpation. ] Blame; censure; crimination. Jefferson. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. Inculpatory. [ Narrower terms: accusatorial, accusatory, accusing; comminatory, denunciative, denunciatory; condemnatory, condemning ; criminative, criminatory, incriminating, incriminatory ; damnatory, damning ; recriminative, recriminatory ] Also See: guilty.
Syn. -- inculpatory. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Imputing blame; causing blame to be imputed to; criminatory; compromising; implicating. Opposite of exculpatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. incultus; pref. in- not + cultus, p. p. of colere to cultivate: cf. F. inculte. ] Untilled; uncultivated; crude; rude; uncivilized. [ 1913 Webster ]

Germany then, says Tacitus, was incult and horrid, now full of magnificent cities. Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

His style is diffuse and incult. M. W. Shelley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Uncultivated. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Lack of cultivation. [ Obs. ] Berington. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. in- not + culture: cf. F. inculture. ] Want or neglect of cultivation or culture. [ Obs. ] Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Incumbencies [ From Incumbent. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The state of being incumbent; a lying or resting on something. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is physically incumbent; that which lies as a burden; a weight. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is morally incumbent, or is imposed, as a rule, a duty, obligation, or responsibility. “The incumbencies of a family.” Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The state of holding a benefice; the full possession and exercise of any office. [ 1913 Webster ]

These fines are only to be paid to the bishop during his incumbency. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person who is in present possession of a benefice or of any office. [ 1913 Webster ]

The incumbent lieth at the mercy of his patron. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. incumbens, -entis, p. pr. of incumbere to lie down upon, press upon; pref. in- in, on + cumbere (in comp.); akin to cubare to lie down. See Incubate. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Lying; resting; reclining; recumbent; superimposed; superincumbent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Two incumbent figures, gracefully leaning upon it. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

To move the incumbent load they try. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Lying, resting, or imposed, as a duty or obligation; obligatory; always with on or upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

All men, truly zealous, will perform those good works that are incumbent on all Christians. Sprat. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) Leaning or resting; -- said of anthers when lying on the inner side of the filament, or of cotyledons when the radicle lies against the back of one of them. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) Bent downwards so that the ends touch, or rest on, something else; as, the incumbent toe of a bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an incumbent manner; so as to be incumbent. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Incumbered p. pr. & vb. n. Incumbering. ] See Encumber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Incubation. [ R. ] Sterne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Encumbrance. ] [ Written also encumbrance. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A burdensome and troublesome load; anything that impedes motion or action, or renders it difficult or laborious; clog; impediment; hindrance; check. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) A burden or charge upon property; a claim or lien upon an estate, which may diminish its value. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Law) One who holds an incumbrance, or some legal claim, lien, or charge on an estate. Kent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. OF. encombros. ] Cumbersome; troublesome. [ Written also encombrous. ] [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Incunabula [ L. incunabula cradle, birthplace, origin. See 1st In-, and Cunabula. ] A work of art or of human industry, of an early epoch; especially, a book printed before a. d. 1500. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Incurred p. pr. & vb. n. Incurring ] [ L. incurrere to run into or toward; pref. in- in + currere to run. See Current. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To meet or fall in with, as something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to put one's self in the way of; to expose one's self to; to become liable or subject to; to bring down upon one's self; to encounter; to contract; as, to incur debt, danger, displeasure, penalty, responsibility, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

I know not what I shall incur to pass it,
Having no warrant. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To render liable or subject to; to occasion. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Lest you incur me much more damage in my fame than you have done me pleasure in preserving my life. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To pass; to enter. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Light is discerned by itself because by itself it incurs into the eye. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. incurabilité incurability, LL. incurabilitas negligence. ] The state of being incurable; irremediableness. Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person diseased beyond cure. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. incurable, L. incurabilis. See In- not, and Curable. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Not capable of being cured; beyond the power of skill or medicine to remedy; as, an incurable disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

A scirrhus is not absolutely incurable. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not admitting or capable of remedy or correction; irremediable; remediless; as, incurable evils. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rancorous and incurable hostility. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

They were laboring under a profound, and, as it might have seemed, an almost incurable ignorance. Sir J. Stephen.

Syn. -- Irremediable; remediless; irrecoverable; irretrievable; irreparable; hopeless. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being incurable; incurability. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a manner that renders cure impracticable or impossible; irremediably. “Incurably diseased.” Bp. Hall. “Incurably wicked.” Blair. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. incuriositas: cf. F. incurosité. ] Lack of curiosity or interest; inattentiveness; indifference. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. incuriosus: cf. F. incurieux. See In- not, and Curious. ] Not curious or inquisitive; without care for or interest in; inattentive; careless; negligent; heedless. [ 1913 Webster ]

Carelessnesses and incurious deportments toward their children. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an curious manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Unconcernedness; incuriosity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sordid incuriousness and slovenly neglect. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Incur. ] The act of incurring, bringing on, or subjecting one's self to (something troublesome or burdensome); as, the incurrence of guilt, debt, responsibility, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. incurrens, p. pr. incurere, incursum, to run in; in- + currere to run. ] (Zool.) Characterized by a current which flows inward; as, the incurrent orifice of lamellibranch Mollusca. [ 1913 Webster ]