Lo lus laser pib ua ib qho kev siv lo lus "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". Hauv qhov kev siv no, lo lus "lub teeb" muaj xws li electromagnetic tawg ntawm txhua zaus, tsis tsuas pom lub teeb, li cov ntsiab lus infrared laser, ultraviolet laser, X-ray laser, gamma-ray laser, thiab li ntawd. Vim hais tias lub microwave thawj ntawm lub laser, maser, tau tsim ua ntej, li ntawm qhov kev khiav hauj lwm ntawm qhov kev lag luam ntawm microwave thiab xov tooj cua frequencies raug xa mus rau "masers" es tsis "microwave lasers" los yog "xov tooj cua lasers". Hauv cov ntaub ntawv sau thaum ntxov, tshwj xeeb tshaj yog hauv Bell Laboratories, lub laser tau hu ua tus neeg teb xov tooj qhib; qhov no yog tam sim no tsis muaj lawm.
Ib lub laser uas ua rau lub teeb ntawm nws tus kheej yog technically qhov kho qhov muag oscillator es tsis yog qhov chaw kho qhov muag pom tau raws li tau hais los ntawm cov ntawv cim. Nws tau raug humourously tau sau tias acronym LOSER, rau "lub teeb oscillation los ntawm stimulated emission ntawm hluav taws xob", xav tau ntau dua. Nrog rau kev siv ntau daim tseem ceeb li ib lub npe, kev kho qhov muag tau pom zoo los ua "laser amplifiers", tab sis lub ntsiab lus tseem ceeb ntawm qhov kev tso tawm.
Cov lus qhia rov qab ua kom lase nquag siv hauv lub tshav pob, txhais hais tias "tsim laser teeb," tshwj xeeb tshaj yog nyob rau hauv reference rau nce qhov nruab nrab ntawm ib lub laser; Thaum twg ib lub laser khiav hauj lwm nws tau hais tias yog "lasing." Tsis tas li ntawd, siv cov lus laser thiab maser nyob rau hauv ib lub ntsiab lus ntev, tsis yog xa mus rau laser tshuab lossis khoom siv, tuaj yeem pom nyob rau hauv usages xws li astrophysical maser thiab atom laser.
