Laboratory Definition, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：place for scientific experiments (laboratory)

laboratory 🔊

/ləˈbɔːrətri/

A special room or building where scientists do experiments and research, usually with special tools and equipment.

Laboratory interior with scientist using microscope and glass beakers

place for scientific experiments 🔊

➕

/pleɪs fɔːr ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk ɪkˈspɛrɪmənts/

A controlled environment equipped with instruments and materials designed for conducting systematic experiments, analysis, and research in fields like chemistry, biology, or physics.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'laboratorium' (workplace), from 'labor' (work), combined with suffix '-ory' meaning place for a specific activity.

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'labor' + 'story' – a place where hard work (labor) creates a story of scientific discovery.

📖 Example

For her chemistry project, Maria spent hours in the laboratory mixing different liquids to see how they would react. 🔊 For her chemistry project, Maria spent hours in the laboratory mixing different liquids to see how they would react.

🔗 Collocations

research laboratory – A lab focused on scientific investigation and discovery

laboratory equipment – Tools and instruments used in a lab, such as microscopes and beakers

laboratory experiment – A test or trial conducted under controlled lab conditions

🔄 Synonyms

lab (n.) – Informal short form of laboratory, equally common in everyday speech

research facility (n.) – A broader term for a building or area dedicated to systematic investigation

workshop (n.) – A place for creative or practical work, sometimes used for experimental setups in arts or engineering

🚫 Antonyms

field (n.) – An outdoor or natural setting where research is conducted outside controlled lab conditions

classroom (n.) – A room for teaching theoretical knowledge, typically lacking experimental equipment

🌱 Derivatives

laboratorial (adj.) – Relating to or characteristic of a laboratory

laboratorian (n.) – A person who works in a laboratory

📖 Cultural Story

Originating in medieval alchemy, the term 'laboratory' evolved from Latin 'laboratorium' for a workspace. By the 17th century, it was used for modern scientific settings as chemistry and physics advanced, becoming central to discovery, e.g., Marie Curie's polonium research.