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
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
Over the next several days, Sierra snow totals are expected to increase, the laboratory said.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Talking Buttons Try to Break the Pet-Human Language Barrier
After familiarizing both dogs and their owners with the laboratory, researchers used adhesive cream to attach EEG monitors to the dogs’ heads.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
With a 14- and a 17-year-old, Mr. Haidt’s household has been something of a laboratory for his smartphone theories.
—Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
The analysis was carried out by Mark Benecke, a forensic expert, and involved several laboratories.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Anderson and others eventually concluded that a laboratory role in COVID’s emergence was implausible.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Dentsply made and sold artificial teeth to dealers, who then sold them to dental laboratories to make dentures.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 22 Mar. 2024
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
Over the next several days, Sierra snow totals are expected to increase, the laboratory said.
—Angela Rodriguez, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024
Talking Buttons Try to Break the Pet-Human Language Barrier
After familiarizing both dogs and their owners with the laboratory, researchers used adhesive cream to attach EEG monitors to the dogs’ heads.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
With a 14- and a 17-year-old, Mr. Haidt’s household has been something of a laboratory for his smartphone theories.
—Emma Goldberg, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
The analysis was carried out by Mark Benecke, a forensic expert, and involved several laboratories.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024
Anderson and others eventually concluded that a laboratory role in COVID’s emergence was implausible.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Dentsply made and sold artificial teeth to dealers, who then sold them to dental laboratories to make dentures.
—Emma Roth, The Verge, 22 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 18 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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