often attributive
: a material (such as flammable or poisonous material) that would be a danger to life or to the environment if released without precautions
Did you know?
The origin of "hazmat" is clear enough - it was formed by combining the first three letters of each of two words: "hazardous" and "material." The word hazmat is fairly young, first appearing in print in 1980. Although it is a noun, "hazmat" tends to be used attributively, meaning that it often appears in sentences before another noun as if it were performing the duties of an adjective (as in "hazmat team" and "hazmat worker").
Examples of hazmat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The failure of a cooling system designed to regulate the temperature of chemical tanks at the plant — one of which dangerously overheated — prompted a hazmat response and led to the evacuations, authorities said Tuesday.
—
Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 26 May 2026
About 40 firefighters and paramedics had responded, along with a regional hazmat team, Gorsuch said.
—CBS News, 26 May 2026
Fire officials say victims suffered chemical burns and inhalation injuries and were rushed to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver as hazmat teams worked to secure the industrial site.
—Claire Rush, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Officials have reached out to experts nationwide, including with the Environmental Protection Agency, hazmat experts and more to determine the best way to contain the incident, according to Concialdi.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hazmat
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Nathaniel Percy, Oc Register, 26 May 2026
About 40 firefighters and paramedics had responded, along with a regional hazmat team, Gorsuch said.
—CBS News, 26 May 2026
Fire officials say victims suffered chemical burns and inhalation injuries and were rushed to hospitals in Longview and Vancouver as hazmat teams worked to secure the industrial site.
—Claire Rush, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Officials have reached out to experts nationwide, including with the Environmental Protection Agency, hazmat experts and more to determine the best way to contain the incident, according to Concialdi.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 24 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for hazmat
Cite this Entry
“Hazmat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hazmat. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hazmat
noun
haz·mat
ˈhaz-ˌmat
often attributive
: a material (as radioactive, flammable, explosive, or poisonous material) that would be a danger to life or to the environment if released without necessary precautions being taken
toxic waste hauled away by workers in hazmat suits—Tom Spousta
Tom Spoustahazmat storage
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