biohazard

noun bio·haz·ard \ ˈbī-ō-ˌha-zərd \

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Definition of biohazard

: a biological agent or condition that is a hazard to humans or the environment; also : a hazard posed by such an agent or condition

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biohazardous

\ˌbī-ō-ˈha-zər-dəs\ adjective

See biohazard defined for English-language learners

Examples of biohazard in a Sentence

The gasoline spill created a serious biohazard.

Recent Examples of biohazard from the Web

The population was small because the monkeys had to be kept in a special biohazard unit to keep the bacteria from infecting other animals or people.

— lynne terry, OregonLive.com, "Oregon scientist develops promising vaccine against tuberculosis," 15 Jan. 2018
The first lesson covers how to behave around the chickens and includes basic biohazard training and the need for washing hands.

— Courant Community, "Community News For The Vernon Edition," 5 June 2018
The workers use trash grabbers to avoid picking up needles or other biohazards directly, Durand said.

— devin kelly, Anchorage Daily News, "In Anchorage spring cleanups, containers for used needles become standard equipment," 13 Apr. 2018
Members of the emergency services in biohazard suits afix a tent over the bench where Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found poisoned in Salisbury, U.K., on March 4.

— david brennan, Newsweek, "Nikolai Glushkov: Another Putin Critic Has Just Been Found Dead in London," 13 Mar. 2018
In a paper published in August in Science, scientists addressed this potential biohazard by knocking out the retroviral DNA with the gene editing technology CRISPR-Cas9.

— jonathon keats, Discover Magazine, "Pig Cells That Won’t Go Retro," 24 Jan. 2018
Scientists who worked with the animals undressed, showered and donned a biohazard suit, mask and respirator before going in and then reversed the process on the way out.

— lynne terry, OregonLive.com, "Oregon scientist develops promising vaccine against tuberculosis," 15 Jan. 2018
According to Downtown Clean & Safe, which is managed by the Portland Business Association, its sanitation workers collected and cleaned up more garbage, needles, graffiti and biohazards in 2016 than in past years.

— OregonLive.com, "The downtown Portland paradox explained in 10 charts," 7 Jan. 2018
Hotels and seminar providers said only lab technicians handle cleanup, and medical waste is disposed of through a biohazard company.

— elizabeth culliford, Anchorage Daily News, "Cadavers in the ballroom: Doctors practice their craft at U.S. hotels," 16 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'biohazard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of biohazard

1965

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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BIOHAZARD Defined for English Language Learners

biohazard

noun

Definition of biohazard for English Language Learners

: a biological or chemical substance or situation that is dangerous to human beings and the environment

Medical Dictionary

biohazard

noun bio·haz·ard \ ˈbī-ō-ˌhaz-ərd, -ˈhaz- \

medical Definition of biohazard

: a biological agent or condition (as an infectious organism or insecure laboratory procedures) that constitutes a hazard to humans or the environment; also : a hazard posed by such an agent or condition

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