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 discovery unfolded while ecologist Sabrina Rondeau was investigating the effects of pesticide residue on common eastern bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) in a laboratory at Canada’s University of Guelph in 2021.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Reached afterward, Dean would not attribute the injuries to any particular cause, noting that extensive testing as part of the necropsy remains to be done, with tissue samples sent to laboratories across the country.
—Wayne Parry, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024
Even more challenging is making sure that coral grown in a laboratory and placed into the ocean doesn't become expensive fish food.
—David Fischer, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Purdue had a working railroad engine in its locomotive laboratory.
—NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Additionally, both the American Society of Nephrology and National Kidney Foundation have pushed laboratories to start using race-free equations when assessing kidney functions.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
An archway of blue and white balloons adorned the entrance of an otherwise unremarkable office building in San Jose this week, marking the grand opening of a new high-tech laboratory for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, which serves 4.5 million people in the region.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
As is routine with any drug arrest and for prosecutorial purposes, the pills will be submitted for laboratory testing and analysis to confirm the drug’s identification and composition.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Your retirement should be free of overly simplistic rules, particularly ones theorized in academic settings rather than the laboratory of real life.
—Roger Whitney, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
Reached afterward, Dean would not attribute the injuries to any particular cause, noting that extensive testing as part of the necropsy remains to be done, with tissue samples sent to laboratories across the country.
—Wayne Parry, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024
Even more challenging is making sure that coral grown in a laboratory and placed into the ocean doesn't become expensive fish food.
—David Fischer, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Purdue had a working railroad engine in its locomotive laboratory.
—NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
Additionally, both the American Society of Nephrology and National Kidney Foundation have pushed laboratories to start using race-free equations when assessing kidney functions.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
An archway of blue and white balloons adorned the entrance of an otherwise unremarkable office building in San Jose this week, marking the grand opening of a new high-tech laboratory for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, which serves 4.5 million people in the region.
—Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
As is routine with any drug arrest and for prosecutorial purposes, the pills will be submitted for laboratory testing and analysis to confirm the drug’s identification and composition.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024
Your retirement should be free of overly simplistic rules, particularly ones theorized in academic settings rather than the laboratory of real life.
—Roger Whitney, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'laboratory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near laboratory
Cite this Entry
“Laboratory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laboratory. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
laboratory
noun
lab·o·ra·to·ry
ˈlab-(ə-)rə-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
-ˌtȯr-
plural laboratories
: a place equipped for making scientific experiments and tests
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