plural labs
1
: laboratory
a research lab
He took some specimens back to his lab at Harvard and after careful study concluded that they represented a completely new species.—International Wildlife
In the lab, at least a third of hornworms become so addicted to the compound … that they starve rather than switch to food without it …—S. Milius
—often used before another nounlab equipment
The lab report came back that it was indeed the scat of Felis concolor, the eastern mountain lion …—Bill Bryson
—sometimes used in combinationNow doctors can use a lab-grown substance that triggers the growth of new bone in the spine, exactly where it's needed.—Susan Stevens
see also lab coat, lab technician
2
labs plural
: laboratory tests (such as blood tests or urinalyses) performed by a medical laboratory on a specimen taken from a patient
After removal of the node, the labs came back. The diagnosis? Cancer recurrence …—Barbara Hough
Labrador
Cite this Entry
“Lab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lab. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.
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