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

The damaged flight data recorder had been deemed unrecoverable for data extraction by South Korean authorities, who sent it to the United States for analysis at the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board laboratory. —Paolo Confino, Fortune Asia, 11 Jan. 2025

His statement brushed aside evidence that dioxin was extremely hazardous to laboratory animals and had been shown in some research to be linked with a rare soft-tissue cancer in humans. —Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Although most of the H5N1 samples have been handled by the state public health laboratory system, the CDC has been working to expand testing, and large commercial laboratories such as Quest and Labcorp now have tests that can detect H5 viruses. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025

Samples from patients in nearly 7 in 10 norovirus outbreaks have tested positive for the new strain so far this season, according to data from a network of public health laboratories called CaliciNet. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 8 Jan. 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