laboratory test

noun

variants or lab test

: a test conducted under controlled scientific conditions in a laboratory or similar setting

… in laboratory tests of acyclovir, herpes strains have mutated to forms resistant to the drug.

—Linda Garmon

We've measured the amount of soap in shampoos and used lab tests to determine cleaning action and pH.

—Consumer Reports

specifically, medical : a test (such as a blood test or urinalysis procedure) performed by a medical laboratory on a specimen taken from a patient

Even experienced doctors cannot distinguish "strep" throat from other-caused sore throats without a laboratory test of fluid taken from the throat.

—Melva Weber

Those two values are seen with a complete blood count, the lab test that enumerates the number of white and red blood cells.

—Paul G. Donahue

laboratory testing noun

or less commonly lab testing

… it has survived nearly two years of strenuous independent laboratory testing and been certified safe for home and commercial use.

—Harper's

Examples of laboratory test in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

During laboratory tests, the system identified sour, salty, bitter, and sweet with nearly 99% accuracy, demonstrating that taste can be captured in digital form. —New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2025

The source of the patient’s infection, an amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, was confirmed by a laboratory test. —Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025

Delays in waiting for laboratory test results to come back and then trying to recontact the patient can lead to delays in delivering a diagnosis or administering care, Wall said. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2025

Seven proved to be bona fide antimicrobial agents, as confirmed by laboratory tests, with two showing particularly strong efficacy in mouse models of gonorrhea and staph infections. —IEEE Spectrum, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for laboratory test

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed