biohazard
Americannoun
-
biohazards
plural
-
a pathogen, especially one used in or produced by biological research.
-
the health risk posed by the possible release of such a pathogen into the environment.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of biohazard
Explanation
A biohazard is a biological substance that's dangerous to people or the environment. Many biohazards are made of bacteria or other microorganisms. Some biohazards are an unintentional side effect of biologists working with or studying toxins or viruses. One common type of biohazard is medical waste — things like used syringes or other tools contaminated with human blood, bacteria, or other microorganisms. The word biohazard was first used around 1973, from the Greek bio-, "life," and hazard, from the Old French hasard, "game of chance."
Vocabulary lists containing biohazard
Words to Live By: Bio
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
bio
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: bio
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Moore said the facility has remained at 45 degrees, which mitigates the risk of it becoming a biohazard due to food spoilage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
Nurses and doctors wore biohazard suits and three layers of medical gloves when they entered his room, swabbing him for virus up his nostrils and in other sites like his eyelids twice a day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
One of the first in the field, Ben gained his initial biohazard cleaning accreditation by cleaning tomato sauce off a desk in 2000.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025
In August there were 23 mostly minor assault reports, consistent with other months, but guards led to more biohazard and misconduct events reported, said Wright.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 6, 2023
They would have to call the Environmental Protection Agency, which has jurisdiction in cases of environmental contamination by an extreme biohazard.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
The ruling moved authority to judges and away from agency experts, he said, even those in highly technical fields who provide oversight on weapons of mass destruction, cybersecurity and biohazards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2024
Police said Thursday the rental home would be cleared of “potential biohazards and other harmful substances” to collect evidence starting Friday morning.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 30, 2022
But science tells us that while young children may benefit from playing in the mud, for instance, the opposite is true of exposing them to lethal pathogens and other biohazards.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 15, 2022
Previously, CEO Peter Rogoff warned the transit board about biohazards and vandalism after ridership imploded in 2020.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2022
Colonel David Huxsoll was an expert in biohazards, and this was the sort of situation he thought the Institute was prepared to handle.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
