noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈbaɪəʊˌhæzəd/
General-American:/ˈbaɪoʊˌhæzɚd/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B AY2 OW0 HH AE1 Z ER0 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A biological hazard: a source of risk due to some biological factor such as bacteria or human waste.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: biosafety
Broader terms: hazmat, HM/DG, hazard, danger
2
noun
Meaning 2
any bacterium or virus or toxin that could be used in biological warfare
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: biological agent
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: agent
3
noun
Meaning 3
hazard to humans or the environment resulting from biological agents or conditions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: health hazard
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gweyh3-der. Ancient Greek βῐ́ος (bĭ́os) Ancient Greek βῐο- (bĭo-)der. English bio- English hazard English biohazard From bio- + hazard.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
