1.
incubator; egg incubator
A device that keeps eggs at the right temperature and humidity so that they will hatch. Used on poultry farms, in schools for educational observation, and by hobbyists who breed birds or reptiles.
卵を孵卵器に入れる。
Put the eggs in the incubator.
小学校で孵卵器を使ってひよこを育てた。
At elementary school we raised chicks using an incubator.
孵卵器の温度を38度に設定する。
Set the incubator's temperature to 38 degrees.
家庭用の小型孵卵器を買って、ウズラの卵を孵化させてみた。
I bought a small home-use incubator and tried to hatch quail eggs.
Composed of 孵卵 (egg incubation) and the suffix -器 (instrument, apparatus). Refers to the device itself, in contrast with 孵化場, which refers to the whole facility.
USAGE:
Commonly encountered in agricultural contexts (poultry, game birds), elementary-school science projects (hatching chicken eggs in the classroom), and among hobbyists who breed exotic birds or reptiles. The term is slightly technical; in casual conversation, people may instead describe the box by function, for example 卵を温める機械 (a machine that warms eggs).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 孵卵器に卵を入れる: to place eggs in the incubator
- 孵卵器の温度を保つ: to maintain the incubator's temperature
- 小型孵卵器: small / compact incubator
- 自動孵卵器: automatic incubator (with automatic egg-turning)
- 孵卵器で孵化させる: to hatch using an incubator
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 孵化場: hatchery — the building or facility, not the machine
- 保育器: (baby) incubator — a medical device for newborn humans; not for eggs
- 育雛器: brooder — a device for keeping newly hatched chicks warm after hatching
- インキュベーター: incubator — the katakana loanword, used for laboratory/medical incubators or, figuratively, business incubators