laboratory

noun

lab·​o·​ra·​to·​ry ˈla-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē 

 sometimes  ˈla-bər-ˌtȯr-,

 or  ˈla-bə-ˌtȯr-,

 or  lə-ˈbȯr-ə-ˌtȯr-

plural laboratories

often attributive

1

a

: a place equipped for experimental study in a science or for testing and analysis

a research laboratory

broadly : a place providing opportunity for experimentation, observation, or practice in a field of study

b

: a place like a laboratory for testing, experimentation, or practice

That area is a laboratory for cultivating the germ of terrorism.

2

: an academic period set aside for laboratory work

a course of study requiring two lectures and one laboratory per week

Examples of laboratory in a Sentence

experiments conducted in a modern laboratory

Recent Examples on the Web

Elbow Shield's body was discovered on the state's Pine Ridge Reservation in January, according to the forensics laboratory that helped solve her case and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2025

The Astro Trail includes five observatories, an aviation and space museum, a laboratory, and a planetarium, along with two state parks and one national park. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 14 Feb. 2025

The increase was primarily due to improved utilization of the company's global laboratory network. —Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 13 Feb. 2025

Trump’s actions threaten to trigger a brain drain from the U.S., as researchers in important laboratories have begun looking for jobs abroad or started to field recruitment offers. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin laboratorium, from Latin laborare to labor, from labor

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing laboratory

• lab/laboratory rat
• laboratory test
• language laboratory

Kids Definition

laboratory

noun

lab·​o·​ra·​to·​ry ˈlab-(ə-)rə-ˌtōr-ē  -ˌtȯr- 

plural laboratories

: a place equipped for making scientific experiments and tests

Medical Definition

laboratory

noun

lab·​o·​ra·​to·​ry

ˈlab-(ə-)rə-ˌtōr-ē, -ˌtȯr-, British usually lə-ˈbär-ə-t(ə-)rē

plural laboratories

often attributive

: a place equipped for experimental study in a science or for testing and analysis