lab rat
The term "lab rat" can refer to both actual rodents used in research and people who spend extensive time in labs or are subjects of experiments.
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Definition
B2Biological Research
(technical)A rodent bred and kept specifically for scientific experiments.
Example
- The lab rat was used to test the new drug's effectiveness.
C1Academic
(idiomatic, informal)A student or employee who spends a lot of time working in a laboratory.
Example
- She's such a lab rat; she's always in the lab working on her research.
B2General
(idiomatic)A person or group used as subjects in experiments or tests, often without their full consent.
Example
- The volunteers felt like lab rats during the clinical trials.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "lab rat":
laboratory ratfield ratrice rattree ratrock ratwater ratsewer ratplague ratshack ratriver ratbush ratwet labpack ratfish-eating ratguinea pig