Fab lab means: A small-scale workshop with the ability to fabricate almost everything, including products generally perceived as limited to mass production.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
fab lab
(slang) A small-scale workshop with the ability to fabricate almost everything, including products generally perceived as limited to mass production.
Etymology timeline
Born ~2002 · no dated citations yetLate-Millennial / Web 2.0 eraSee decade cohort →
Definitions
Global
#1·Apr 27, 2026Global
(slang) A small-scale workshop with the ability to fabricate almost everything, including products generally perceived as limited to mass production.
For parents
Fab lab means: A small-scale workshop with the ability to fabricate almost everything, including products generally perceived as limited to mass production.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
fab lab means: A small-scale workshop with the ability to fabricate almost everything, including products generally perceived as limited to mass production.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. Common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; always check the context before producing it yourself.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "fab lab" (F)
Browse all slang words starting with F.
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Semantically related
- faberoo64%
(slang) fabulous, excellent.
- fabbo63%
(slang) fabulous, excellent.
- shop61%
A place where things are manufactured or crafted; a workshop.
- frob60%
(MIT, slang) Any small device or object (usually hand-sized) which can be manipulated.
- faberoo60%
An enthusiastic, slightly campy slang word meaning fabulous or excellent — the kind of word you'd hear with jazz hands attached. It amps up the energy of 'fab' with a playful suffix, making everything it describes sound a little more theatrical and fun. Used to express genuine delight or to be ironically over-the-top, depending on your vibe.