1. Books printed from movable type before 1501, especially those produced in the earliest period of printing in Europe.
Usage: Usually used in plural form; Also spelled 'incunabula' (Latin plural); Specialized term in book history and bibliography
2. The earliest stages or first attempts at something; infancy or beginning period.
Usage: Figurative or extended use; Rare in modern usage

Examples

• The library's collection of incunables includes rare first editions from the 1470s.
• Scholars study incunables to understand the history of printing and book production.
• That incunable is one of the most valuable items in the rare books room.
• The museum acquired several incunables from a private collector.
• Incunables represent the infancy of the printing press in Western Europe.