biohazardn.
/ˈbʌɪəʊhazəd/, U.S. /ˈbaɪoʊˌhæzərd/ A risk to people or the environment, esp. one arising out of biological or medical work; something that presents or constitutes such a risk.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > danger > [noun] > risk > a risk to mankind or the environment
biohazard1965
1965 Science 24 Sept. 1560/1 (advt.) Opportunities in Virus Research, Biohazard Research and Biological Product Development created by research expansion.
1975 Nature 5 June 442/1 This meeting was organised to review scientific progress in research on recombinant DNA molecules and to discuss appropriate ways to deal with the potential biohazards of this work.
1994 N. Baker Fermata vii. 115 The Beckman machine could turn a rotor, fitted with eight or even twelve little cuvettes containing some biohazard or other.
2003 Farmers Guardian 14 Mar. 7/1 The proposed collection scheme would pose a bio-hazard, with lorries having to move from farm to farm carrying potentially diseased carcases.
Derivatives
bioˈhazardous adj. constituting a biohazard; of or relating to a biohazard.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > danger > [adjective] > constituting a biohazard
biohazardous1973
1973 Appl. Microbiol. 26 146 Potentially biohazardous situations may occur under laboratory conditions if this virus becomes accidentally airborne.
1984 Cancer Res. 44 478/1 Radioimmunoassays are both expensive and potentially biohazardous.
2002 Q News (Brisbane) 22 Feb. 8/5 A used syringe is considered bio-hazardous waste, so the preferred option for disposal is in a suitable container.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1965