labber

Labber is an informal English term used to refer to a person who works in a laboratory. It is not a formal job title, and it is primarily encountered in casual speech among scientists, students, and hobbyists. The word is formed from lab, short for laboratory, with an informal agentive suffix -ber, a playful construction that echoes other colloquial formations.

Usage and scope: A labber may describe someone who performs routine lab tasks, prepares samples, runs experiments, or assists researchers. Because it is informal, the term's acceptability and exact meaning vary by community and region. In formal writing or professional contexts, more standard terms such as lab technician, laboratory assistant, or research assistant are preferred.

Etymology and usage notes: The construction is characteristic of informal English word-building, and there is no single authoritative origin. The term is largely regional and context-dependent, and it may appear in conversation, blogs, or social media rather than dictionaries.

Variants and other uses: Labber can also appear as a surname, a brand or project name, or a fictional character in media, in which cases the meaning is not lab-related.

See also: Lab technician, Laboratory assistant, Laboratory worker, Surname.