Etymology Map
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Laboratory

2 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a room or building equipped for scientific experiments

Where does the word "laboratory" come from? It comes from Latin laborare, adopted directly into English (1590s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
laborare
Latin · classical
"to work"
'to work, toil', from labor
2
Stage 2 of 2
laboratory
English · 1590s
"place for experiments"
via Medieval Latin laboratorium, a workshop, often an alchemist's; Justus von Liebig's teaching laboratory at Giessen, opened in 1824, became the model for university science labs
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Read the full story

Laboratory’s story begins in Latin: laborare meant “to work.” 'to work, toil', from labor. It reached English by 1590s as laboratory. Via Medieval Latin laboratorium, a workshop, often an alchemist's; Justus von Liebig's teaching laboratory at Giessen, opened in 1824, became the model for university science labs. Today, laboratory means a room or building equipped for scientific experiments.