Plural of lab; places where scientists conduct experiments and research using special equipment and materials.
Shortened from 'laboratory,' which comes from Latin 'laborare' (to work) and the suffix '-ory' (place for). The abbreviated form became common in the 20th century as scientific work became more widespread.
Scientists didn't always call their workspaces 'labs'—the abbreviation only became popular in the 1800s when experimental science took off. Today, 'lab' is so common that most people forget it's short for 'laboratory,' showing how language naturally shortens words we use frequently.
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