laboratory

laboratory — noun

1. A specially designed room or building where scientists and students carry out ex

1.名詞B1
釋義

A specially designed room or building where scientists and students carry out experiments, perform chemical tests, or prepare medicines; found in schools, hospitals, universities, and research centers.

例句

Stephanie spent all afternoon in the laboratory mixing chemicals for her experiment.

collocation: in the laboratory / laboratory experiment

The school built a new laboratory with enough microscopes for every student.

同義詞
  • lab

    the common short form, used in both formal and informal contexts

  • research facility

    broader; may include offices and equipment storage, not just experiment space

  • testing facility

    focuses on quality-control testing rather than open-ended research

用法筆記

In everyday speech, speakers often shorten 'laboratory' to 'lab' (e.g., 'the chemistry lab'). The full form is standard in formal academic writing.

常見錯誤

❌He works in a laboratory room at the factory.
✅He works in a laboratory at the factory.
💡'laboratory' already implies a room or building; adding 'room' is redundant.

2. A place, environment, or situation that allows people to try out new ideas, meth

2.名詞B2
釋義

A place, environment, or situation that allows people to try out new ideas, methods, or systems and observe the results — similar to a scientific laboratory but not necessarily involving science.

例句

The city has become a laboratory for testing new ideas in public transportation.

figurative: a laboratory for testing [ideas]

With its diverse population, the neighbourhood served as a social laboratory for the research team.

collocation: social laboratory

同義詞
  • testing ground

    emphasises trying a method before wider use; more informal

  • proving ground

    implies a final evaluation of worth, not just learning

  • incubator

    suggests nurturing and growth, not just testing

用法筆記

This figurative sense appears most often in academic writing, journalism, and political commentary. The subject is commonly a city, region, institution, or situation, not a physical room with equipment.

常見錯誤

❌The project became a laboratory for testing ideas' (vague).
✅The pilot programme in three schools became a laboratory for testing a new teaching method.
💡the figurative sense needs a concrete referent and a specific scope.