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 rolling laboratory recently embarked on a new phase in its adventures.
—
Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Wilmore and Williams watched their spacecraft depart and will remain on the orbiting laboratory until 2025.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 7 Sep. 2024
After years of delays, Starliner launched in June for what was meant to be a roughly weeklong test mission — a final shakedown before it could be certified to rotate crew to and from the orbital laboratory.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2024
Using thruster burns, the Boeing capsule autonomously steered itself away from the space laboratory and toward Earth to begin its descent into the atmosphere.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for laboratory 
Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024
Wilmore and Williams watched their spacecraft depart and will remain on the orbiting laboratory until 2025.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 7 Sep. 2024
After years of delays, Starliner launched in June for what was meant to be a roughly weeklong test mission — a final shakedown before it could be certified to rotate crew to and from the orbital laboratory.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2024
Using thruster burns, the Boeing capsule autonomously steered itself away from the space laboratory and toward Earth to begin its descent into the atmosphere.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for laboratory
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 14 Sep. 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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