biohazard

B3I1O1H4A1Z10A1R1D2
UK/ˈbaɪəʊˌhæzəd/US/ˈbaɪoʊˌhæzɚd/

noun

A biological hazard: a source of risk due to some biological factor such as bacteria or human waste.

Similar
biological agent
Opposite
Less commonScrabble 24

Meanings

nounbiohazard (plural biohazards)

plural biohazards

  1. A biological hazard: a source of risk due to some biological factor such as bacteria or human waste.

    South Western Railway's Basingstoke station has donated surplus biohazard waste bags to the nearby St Michael's Hospice.

    2020 August 12, “News in Brief: Donation to hospice”, in Rail, page 31
    2 more examples

    The OSHA procedures for this type of environment required all investigative and emergency response personnel to wear PPE when they accessed those areas of the accident site containing biological hazards and undergo decontamination procedures after departing the biohazard area.

    1999 March 24, National Transportation Safety Board, “1.19 New Investigative Techniques”, in Aircraft Accident Report: Uncontrolled Descent and Collision with Terrain, USAir Flight 427, Boeing 737-300, N513AU, Near Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, September 8, 1994, archived from the original on 04 Jun 2022, page 237

    People had to poo in bags, you see. Jan had to get on the public address system and explain to thousands of disbelieving passengers that “number ones” could be done in the shower but “number twos” must be done in the red biohazard bags being distributed, then placed in corridors for collection by unnamed staff, none of whom chose to appear in this documentary.

    2026 June 24, Lucy Mangan, “Poop Cruise review – a fascinating look at a toilet disaster that still haunts passengers 12 years later”, in The Guardian

    Antonyms: biosafety

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA biological hazard: a source of risk due to some biological factor such as bacteria or human waste.

Opposite

More synonyms by meaning

nounany bacterium or virus or toxin that could be used in biological warfare

Similar
biological agent
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Ancient Greekβῐ́ος (bĭ́os)
  3. Ancient Greekβῐο- (bĭo-)
  4. Englishbio-
  5. Englishhazard
  6. Englishbiohazard

From bio- + hazard.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic خطر بيولوجيّ
  • خطر بيولوجيّbiological risk
Chinese Mandarin 生物危害, 生物危險 /生物危险
  • 生物危害 (shēngwù wēihài)biological risk
  • 生物危險 /生物危险 (shēngwù wēixiǎn)biological risk
Czech biologické riziko
  • biologické rizikobiological risk
Dutch biologisch gevaar
  • biologisch gevaarbiological risk
Finnish biohasardi, biovaara
  • biohasardibiological risk
  • biovaarabiological risk
French risque biologique
  • risque biologiquebiological risk
German biologisches Risiko, Biogefahr
  • biologisches Risikobiological risk
  • Biogefahrbiological risk
  • Biogefährdungbiological risk
Irish bithghuais
  • bithghuaisbiological risk
Japanese 生物災害, バイオハザード
  • 生物災害 (seibutsu saigai)biological risk
  • バイオハザード (baiohazādo)biological risk
Korean 바이오해저드
  • 바이오해저드 (baiohaejeodeu)biological risk
Persian مخاطرهٔ زیستی, خطر زیستی
  • مخاطرهٔ زیستی (moxātere-ye zisti)biological risk
  • خطر زیستی (xatar-e zisti)biological risk
Polish zagrożenie biologiczne
  • zagrożenie biologicznebiological risk
Portuguese risco biológico, biorrisco
  • risco biológicobiological risk
  • biorriscobiological risk
Russian биологическая опасность
  • биологическая опасность (biologičeskaja opasnostʹ)biological risk
Spanish riesgo biológico
  • riesgo biológicobiological risk
Swedish biologiskt avfall, smittbärare
  • biologiskt avfallbiological risk
  • smittbärarebiological risk
Welsh bioberygl
  • bioberyglbiological risk
Cite this entry
APA

biohazard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biohazard

MLA

“biohazard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biohazard. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “biohazard,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biohazard.

Source: biohazard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.