🥼

Lab Coat

lab koʊt
Objects Unicode 11.0 common

Meanings

1
Professional · Science Common

A white protective garment worn by scientists, doctors, and laboratory workers. Used to represent scientific research, medical professionals, or academic settings.

Commonly used in contexts related to science, medicine, research, or education to indicate professional settings.

Starting my first day at the lab tomorrow! 🥼 Excited to begin my research project! 📋 Social media post
Just passed my chemistry exam! 🥼🧪 One step closer to becoming a scientist! 📋 Student message

Symbolizes authority, expertise, and credibility in scientific and medical fields.

2
Medical · Healthcare Common

Represents medical professionals, particularly doctors, pharmacists, or other healthcare workers who wear white coats in clinical settings.

Often used alongside medical emojis to indicate healthcare contexts or medical achievements.

Happy National Doctors' Day to all the amazing physicians out there! 🥼❤️ 📋 Social media celebration

The white coat ceremony is a significant rite of passage for medical students in many countries.

Combos with 🥼

🥼🧪
Scientific research or laboratory work
Commonly used to represent chemistry, lab experiments, or scientific discovery
🥼👩‍⚕️
Female doctor or medical professional
Used to emphasize women in medicine or healthcare roles
🥼🧬
Genetic research or biology
Represents DNA research, genetics, or biological sciences
🥼🔬
Scientific observation or laboratory analysis
Used for microscopy, detailed scientific work, or academic research

Culture

The lab coat symbolizes scientific authority and expertise. It creates a visual boundary between professionals and laypeople, conferring credibility in scientific and medical contexts.

Lab coats evolved from beige to white in the early 20th century to emphasize cleanliness and scientific rigor, becoming powerful symbols of empirical methodology and medical professionalism.

In digital communication, the lab coat emoji is frequently used to represent STEM fields and promote science literacy, particularly during science-related social media campaigns.

United Kingdom More commonly associated with scientific research than clinical practice, as white coats are less prevalent in NHS settings.
United States Strongly associated with STEM education and medical professions, particularly in academic contexts.
Gen_X: Less frequently used, but appears in professional contexts to indicate scientific expertise or medical discussions.
Gen_Z: Used to celebrate academic achievements in STEM fields or to indicate science-related content on TikTok and Instagram.
Older: Rarely used, though some adopt it to show pride in medical or scientific family members' achievements.
Millennials: Commonly used when discussing career milestones in scientific or medical fields, particularly on LinkedIn and Twitter.

History

2018

Added to Unicode 11.0 as part of a science-themed emoji update.

Growing emphasis on STEM education and science communication.

2020

Usage surged during COVID-19 pandemic to represent healthcare workers and scientists.

Increased public focus on medical professionals and vaccine researchers.