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
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, 17 Mar. 2025
The testing booths manned by workers in hazmat suits have been dismantled.
—Vivian Wang, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2025
Their food and any other necessities are brought to the doors of their rooms by workers in hazmat suits, and security personnel are on hand to enforce—violently, if need be—the guests’ involuntary solitary confinement.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
The streets are dotted with workers in hazmat suits doing undefinable tasks and the stores are rundown.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hazmat
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Courier-News, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
The testing booths manned by workers in hazmat suits have been dismantled.
—Vivian Wang, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2025
Their food and any other necessities are brought to the doors of their rooms by workers in hazmat suits, and security personnel are on hand to enforce—violently, if need be—the guests’ involuntary solitary confinement.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
The streets are dotted with workers in hazmat suits doing undefinable tasks and the stores are rundown.
—Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 11 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 23 Mar. 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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