hazmat
noun
haz·mat ˈhaz-ˌmat 
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").
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web In gas masks and hazmat suits, Ukrainian emergency workers conducted a nuclear response drill in the nearby city of Zaporizhzhia. 
Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 Nearby, Ukrainian emergency forces are rehearsing nuclear disaster drills clad in gas masks and hazmat suits in case of an incident at the plant. Robert Hart, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 Blue envisions an apocalyptic scene of shop and dock closures and people in hazmat suits when the demolition of the asbestos-laden power plant begins. Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2022 More than once, vandals have broken into buildings and sprayed fire extinguishers, filling the space with fine dust that requires the use of hazmat suits to clean up. Loren Holmes, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Aug. 2022 Things go terribly wrong, resulting in a comedic adventure involving an unusual dragon, bunnies in hazmat suits, leprechaun millennials and an overweight German unicorn in a too-tight tracksuit. New York Times, 1 Aug. 2022 Fire crews responded to a Level 2 hazmat incident in the Seaport area Wednesday. Matt Yan, BostonGlobe.com, 15 June 2022 An emergency vehicle responding to the hazmat incident at the pool also crashed into a pickup truck. Teddy Grant, ABC News, 15 June 2022 Officers responded to an apartment complex in the 800 block of South Olive Street just before 1 a.m. for a hazmat call, the LAPD told Fox News. Fox News, 14 May 2022 See More
Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 Nearby, Ukrainian emergency forces are rehearsing nuclear disaster drills clad in gas masks and hazmat suits in case of an incident at the plant. Robert Hart, Forbes, 18 Aug. 2022 Blue envisions an apocalyptic scene of shop and dock closures and people in hazmat suits when the demolition of the asbestos-laden power plant begins. Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2022 More than once, vandals have broken into buildings and sprayed fire extinguishers, filling the space with fine dust that requires the use of hazmat suits to clean up. Loren Holmes, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Aug. 2022 Things go terribly wrong, resulting in a comedic adventure involving an unusual dragon, bunnies in hazmat suits, leprechaun millennials and an overweight German unicorn in a too-tight tracksuit. New York Times, 1 Aug. 2022 Fire crews responded to a Level 2 hazmat incident in the Seaport area Wednesday. Matt Yan, BostonGlobe.com, 15 June 2022 An emergency vehicle responding to the hazmat incident at the pool also crashed into a pickup truck. Teddy Grant, ABC News, 15 June 2022 Officers responded to an apartment complex in the 800 block of South Olive Street just before 1 a.m. for a hazmat call, the LAPD told Fox News. Fox News, 14 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
hazardous material
First Known Use
1972, in the meaning defined above
Medical 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
- self-devotedness
- self-devoting
- self-devotion
- self-devouring
- self-dif
- self-differentiate
- self-differentiated
- self-differentiates
- self-differentiating
- self-differentiation
- self-differentiations
- self-direct
- self-directed
- self-directing
- self-direction
- self-directive
- self-directs
- self-dis
- self-discharging
- self-discipline
- self-disciplined
- self-discoveries
- self-discovery
- self-discrepant
- self-disgust