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
On January 20, armed with a press assignment memo from IndieWire and a hazmat suit, Timoner went to her house.
—
Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
The remains were extracted by teams in hazmat suits and placed in black bags for further examination.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
In the all-caps lettering of the department’s aging computer dispatch system, the message informed deputies that the hazmat team suggested wearing N95 masks while working in the area.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
YouTube star MrBeast expresses interest in purchasing TikTok less than a week before ban LA fire crews make progress but dangers remain; EPA hazmat teams to start cleaning debris
Where do Trump and Rubio stand?
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hazmat 
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Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025
The remains were extracted by teams in hazmat suits and placed in black bags for further examination.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
In the all-caps lettering of the department’s aging computer dispatch system, the message informed deputies that the hazmat team suggested wearing N95 masks while working in the area.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025
YouTube star MrBeast expresses interest in purchasing TikTok less than a week before ban LA fire crews make progress but dangers remain; EPA hazmat teams to start cleaning debris
Where do Trump and Rubio stand?
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hazmat
Dictionary Entries Near hazmat
Cite this Entry
“Hazmat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hazmat. Accessed 7 Feb. 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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