lab

See also: Appendix:Variations of "lab"

Translingual

Etymology

Initialism of English Linear A with b as a placeholder.

Symbol

lab

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Linear A.

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Linear A terms

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

lab

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /læb/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -æb

Etymology 1

Clipping of laboratory.

Noun

lab (plural labs)

1. (colloquial) A laboratory.
   • 1962, “Monster Mash”, Bobby "Boris" Pickett and Lenny Capizzi (lyrics), performed by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers:

     I was working in the lab late one night
     When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
     For my monster, from his slab, began to rise
     And suddenly, to my surprise
     He did the Mash
     He did the Monster Mash.

   • 2014, Jeff Jacobson, Growth, page 23:

     A man dressed as a lab tech, his blue scrubs startlingly pale against the vivid red and black chaos, moved into sight from behind the SUV. He carried an assault rifle.

   • 2023 August 2, Ben Tinker, Meg Tirrell and Brenda Goodman, “New director named at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases after Fauci’s retirement”, in CNN‎:

     The NIAID supports projects at universities and research organizations around the United States as well as a network of 21 NIAID labs across the country.

   • 2025 March 28, Andrea Fox, “Lab critical to medical device development 'DOGEd'”, in Healthcare IT News‎:

     Since the lab has been "doged," a petition posted to Change.org by Evgeny Stambulchik asked for signatures to oppose the layoff of the NIST Atomic Spectroscopy Group and has garnered 2,500 signatures as of reporting time. There is also a campaign website.

2. (colloquial) Laboratory experiment, test, investigation or result.

   I dropped my mixture while doing my lab, so I had to start over.

Derived terms

• biolab
• clan lab
• computer lab
• drug lab
• dry lab, dry-lab
• fab lab
• hacklab
• homelab
• hot lab
• lab assistant
• labbie
• lab coat
• lab dip
• labful
• lab-grown
• lab lit
• labmate
• lab mouse
• lab on a chip
• lab rat
• labside
• lab tech
• labware
• lab work
• language lab
• medlab
• meth lab
• minilab
• nonlab
• photolab
• prelab
• science lab
• sealab
• skylab
• Skylab
• superlab
• wet lab, wet-lab

Translations

laboratory — see laboratory

Etymology 2

Clipping of Labrador retriever.

Noun

lab (plural labs)

1. (colloquial) A Labrador retriever.

Derived terms

• choco lab

Translations

Labrador retriever

Finnish: labbis (fi), labukka, labradori

Anagrams

• BLA, BAL, Alb., alb, bla, abl.