Lab
/læb/noun
A laboratory or a place equipped for scientific experiments and analysis.
Did you know?“Lab” is a shortening of “laboratory,” ultimately tied to Latin *labor* (“work”), so the word carries the old idea that knowledge is something you physically wrestle out of reality.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
laboratorium
“A place for work or practical activity.”
Middle French
French
laboratoire
“A place for work, especially one devoted to experiments.”
17th Century
English
laboratory
“A room or building for conducting experiments.”
19th Century
English
lab
“A shortened form of laboratory.”
Modern English
English
lab
“A laboratory, especially one used for scientific work.”
Explore more surprising origins