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Chemistry vocabulary · Laboratory Safety

Fume hood

Meaning in chemistry, with examples

nounCore term

In chemistry, fume hood means: A ventilated cabinet with a sliding glass front that draws fumes away from the user. Work with volatile, toxic or strong-smelling chemicals is done inside it.

In Turkish: çeker ocak

How it is used

Heard in every lab induction. You work in the hood, keep the sash low and check the airflow. Lab staff often just say 'the hood'; British labs call it a fume cupboard.

Example sentences

  1. Open the bottle of bromine only inside the fume hood.

  2. The fume hood alarm went off because someone left the sash fully open.

Common collocations

  • work in the fume hood
  • fume hood sash
  • lower the sash
  • fume hood airflow
  • PPEShort for personal protective equipment: the items you wear to protect yourself from hazards in the lab, such as a lab coat, safety goggles and gloves.
  • safety data sheetA standard document from the supplier that describes a chemical's hazards, safe handling, storage, first aid and disposal. It is usually shortened to SDS.
  • flammableDescribes a substance that catches fire easily and burns quickly. Many organic solvents, such as acetone, diethyl ether and ethanol, belong to this group.
  • corrosiveDescribes a substance that can destroy or badly damage skin, eyes, metals or other materials on contact. Concentrated acids and strong bases are typical examples.
  • spillAn accident in which a chemical is dropped or leaks out of its container. As a verb, the word means to let a liquid or powder fall out by accident.

More terms: Laboratory Safety

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