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research lab

research lab

18 3.5
A place where scientists do experiments to learn about the world
  • noun
  • /ˈriːsɜːrʧ læb/
translation icon : laboratorio de investigación
  • The biologist conducted several experiments in the research lab to study the effects of climate change on plant growth.
  • university research lab
  • academic research lab
  • industry-sponsored research lab

We have a lab, a research lab like Merck.

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Examples

  • Well, it was a short ride since the research lab was just a mile out of town.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The research lab's working 24 hours a day, around the clock, to come up with a counter-agent.

  • It's more of a research lab.

  • Look, there is no research lab.

  • Got that list of former employees that had access to the research lab.

  • Basically, if you can imagine it, then several research labs are working on it.

    Academic text (2012)
  • As she describes it, she fell into the work at the research lab, then fell in love with it.

    Academic text (2016)
  • I'm setting up the new research lab.

  • The arrangement is an interesting example of how industry and national research labs work together.

    Academic text (2002)
  • I run a research lab on child autism in conjunction with Yale and the Greenwich hospital.

Synonyms

lab
vsresearch lab
  • Informal
1.6

A room or building where people do science experiments

is a general facility for scientific research and experiments across fields
laboratory
vsresearch lab
  • Specialized
341 3.0

A room or building where scientists do experiments and tests

focuses on carrying out research and experiments rather than production tasks
research facility
vsresearch lab
23 3.4

A place where people study and test ideas to learn new things

is more specifically about places where experiments and practical research are carried out
science lab
vsresearch lab
11 2.8

A room in a school or research building where people do experiments

is used for research work in any type of scientific facility
research laboratory
vsresearch lab
5 3.7

A place where scientists do experiments to learn about science

uses the same meaning but expressed in a shorter familiar form
science laboratory
vsresearch lab
1 3.2

A room or building where people do experiments, research, and teach science

is mainly about carrying out research and experiments rather than teaching

How Big

field
  • Specialized
193 3.4
defense laboratory
  • Specialized
1 4.9
research lab
18 3.5

Surface Forms

research lab singular
research labs plural

Morphology

research + lab

The meaning 'a place where scientific research is carried out' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'research' (organized investigation) and 'lab' (facility for experiments). This straightforward noun-noun composition follows common English compounding patterns and is cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Research lab is a name that paints a picture of a room where people do careful study: research means careful study and lab is short for the room where scientists run tests. So, research lab means 'a place where scientists do experiments and study new ideas'.