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
Firefighters continued this strategy Monday, deploying heavy aerial resources and a hazmat team to mitigate the chlorine gas leak.
—
Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Decade is not nearly that strong, but anything over 140 proof is considered to be hazmat level and the FAA has banned it from being brought onboard an airplane.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
Emergency responders from multiple fire departments and hazmat teams were called to the scene at around 5:45 a.m.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 8 July 2025
Two days after the initial report, a hazmat team made an attempt to get inside and search the home, but Notarangelo was not found, police reports said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hazmat
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Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Decade is not nearly that strong, but anything over 140 proof is considered to be hazmat level and the FAA has banned it from being brought onboard an airplane.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
Emergency responders from multiple fire departments and hazmat teams were called to the scene at around 5:45 a.m.
—Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 8 July 2025
Two days after the initial report, a hazmat team made an attempt to get inside and search the home, but Notarangelo was not found, police reports said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 June 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 Aug. 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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