an X-ray lab/room

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Angliholic  #512457  Sun, 11 May 08 03:28 PM

My brother works as a medical technician in an X-ray lab.

 

Hi,

Does "lab" in the above stand for laboratory? Is it interchangeable with "room?" Thanks.

  
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badegine  #512470  Sun, 11 May 08 03:55 PM

Yes - more or less. Laboratory implies that the room will be used to analyse the X-Rays after they've been taken [a place using X-Rays for research, such as a Physics department, would also have a laboratory, for example]. Technically, using the word 'room' implies only that the X-Rays will be *taken* in there, not procressed/analysed as well.

But it's really a technicality - no-one would bat an eyelid if you used them interchangeably.

  
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Huevos  #512475  Sun, 11 May 08 04:06 PM
 You don't have to say either. For example you could say: My brother works in X-rays as a madical technician. Using the preposition in shows X-rays is a location rather than a line or topic.
  
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Angliholic  #512490  Sun, 11 May 08 04:31 PM

badegine

Yes - more or less. Laboratory implies that the room will be used to analyse the X-Rays after they've been taken [a place using X-Rays for research, such as a Physics department, would also have a laboratory, for example]. Technically, using the word 'room' implies only that the X-Rays will be *taken* in there, not procressed/analysed as well.

But it's really a technicality - no-one would bat an eyelid if you used them interchangeably.

Thanks, Badegine and Huevos.

By the way, I find the phrase "bat an eyelid" very intriguing. Is it equal to say "droop an eyelid" or "wink one's eye?"

  
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