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lab bench

lab bench

2 2.8
A long sturdy table in a lab used for experiments
  • noun
  • /læb bɛnʧ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mesa de laboratorio
  • During the lab session, each student had their own space to work on the lab bench with their materials.

Examples

  • He looked around the room and spotted an old copy of the physics textbook by Halliday and Resnick, the one with the yellow and green waves on the cover, sitting on a lab bench.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • So this is this is your microscope sitting on a lab bench some distance away.

  • Suddenly, his air tube snags on the side of the lab bench.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Lab benches filled the center of the room, providing working space for a dozen researchers.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Grant doesn't notice, as he's still obsessed with the infant dinosaur, measuring and weighing it on a nearby lab bench.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The scientist carefully arranged all the test tubes on the lab bench before starting the experiment.

  • After using the microscope, she placed it back on the lab bench and prepared for the next experiment.

Synonyms

bench
vslab bench
41 1.2

A strong table used for building or fixing things in a workshop

is meant for scientific tasks instead of assembly or repairs
workbench
vslab bench
18 3.2

A strong table used for making or fixing things

is used for scientific experiments rather than manual trade tasks
laboratory bench
vslab bench
  • Specialized
3.7

A strong table in a lab where people do experiments

is typically longer and designed for repeated experimental work
benchtop
vslab bench
  • Specialized
4.0

Small enough to fit on a workbench or kitchen counter

is a full-length table used for experiments rather than a tabletop piece

How Sturdy

workbench
18 3.2
lab bench
  • Specialized
2 2.8
bench
210 1.0
table
1.0
stool
95 1.0

Surface Forms

lab bench singular
lab benches plural

Morphology

lab + bench

The meaning 'a sturdy table in a laboratory' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'lab' (laboratory) with 'bench' (a strong table for work). This simple noun–noun composition follows common compositional patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Lab bench comes from the idea of a work bench, a strong table for doing hands-on tasks, being used inside a lab for experiments. That's why lab bench means 'a long, sturdy table in a lab used for scientific work'.