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
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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
At the start, my unnamed character is roused from a cot inside a bunker by a scientist in a hazmat suit with a gaping wound to his side.
—
Christopher Rd, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
By the time the federal veterinarians showed up in their hazmat suits, less than a week after the first chickens had fallen, nearly 2,500 birds were dead.
—Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2025
Several years ago workers had to wear hazmat suits when the river was redeveloped because of the toxicity in the soil.
—Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
Officials with the Los Angeles Fire Department’s hazmat unit, arson unit, and officials with the Los Angeles Police bomb squad also responded to the home.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hazmat
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Christopher Rd, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
By the time the federal veterinarians showed up in their hazmat suits, less than a week after the first chickens had fallen, nearly 2,500 birds were dead.
—Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2025
Several years ago workers had to wear hazmat suits when the river was redeveloped because of the toxicity in the soil.
—Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
Officials with the Los Angeles Fire Department’s hazmat unit, arson unit, and officials with the Los Angeles Police bomb squad also responded to the home.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
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 Apr. 2025.
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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