noun
lab
lab
noun
1
A laboratory — a room or building equipped for scientific experiments, testing, or research.
"The samples were sent to the lab for analysis."
"She spends most of her week in the lab running trials."
2
Informal short form of Labrador retriever, a popular breed of dog.
"Their lab bounded across the park to fetch the ball."
"Labs are known for being friendly and easy to train."
How to Use Lab
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a place for scientific work, or, casually, a Labrador dog.
When to use it
Very informal in both senses — 'laboratory' and 'Labrador retriever' are the full forms in formal writing.
Word Forms
labbed past tense, labs plural, labs plural, labs singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “lab”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The samples were sent to the _____ for analysis.
Etymology
Shortened from "laboratory."