A lab is a room or building with special equipment where scientists, students, or technicians do experiments and tests.
Shortened from *laboratory*, a word that appeared in English in the 17th century for places where chemical and scientific work was done. *Laboratory* itself comes from Latin *laboratorium*, meaning a place of work.
*Lab* is one of many English words that come from chopping off the end of a longer word, like *exam* from *examination* or *phone* from *telephone*. The short form became so common that people often forget it’s an abbreviation at all.
Laboratories have historically been male-dominated spaces, with women often excluded from formal lab roles or relegated to assistant positions. Their contributions in labs were frequently under-credited or published under male colleagues’ names.
Use ‘lab’ for research spaces of any gender makeup; avoid assuming scientists or lab workers are male and highlight inclusive lab practices.
["laboratory","research facility"]
When discussing lab work, name women and gender-diverse scientists and technicians whose contributions have been essential but historically minimized.
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