Main Entry: lab·o·ra·to·ry

Pronunciation: \ˈla-b(ə-)rə-ˌtȯr-ē sometimes ˈla-bə(r)-ˌ or lə-ˈbȯr-ə-ˌ, British usually lə-ˈbär-ə-t(ə-)rē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural lab·o·ra·to·ries

Usage: often attributive

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

Date: 1605

1 a : a place equipped for experimental study in a science or for testing and analysis; 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 <the laboratory of the mind>
2 : an academic period set aside for laboratory work