Meaning & use
hazmat suit
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A full-body protective outfit that covers the skin and breathing system, worn by people who work near dangerous chemicals, radiation or infectious materials.
Grammar: Has a plural: workers in hazmat suits.
Patterns
- wear a hazmat suit
- in a hazmat suit
Workers in hazmat suits cleaned up the chemical spill.
The scientists put on hazmat suits before entering the laboratory.
He joked that he needed a hazmat suit to clean the kitchen.
Word forms
| plural | hazmat suits |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a hazmat suit
- You must wear a hazmat suit in the contaminated area.
- don a hazmat suit
- The inspector donned a hazmat suit and gloves.
- a full hazmat suit
- Staff wore a full hazmat suit with a mask.
- hazmat suit and gloves
- They arrived in hazmat suits and gloves.
- hazmat team
- A hazmat team came to remove the leaking barrels.
Synonyms and how they differ
- protective suit
- Protective suit is the general phrase and may cover any safety clothing, while hazmat suit means one for hazardous substances.
- biohazard suit
- A biohazard suit is aimed at infection and biological risk, whereas a hazmat suit may also protect against chemicals.
- coverall
- A coverall is a one-piece garment that may offer little or no chemical protection.
- radiation suit
- A radiation suit is made for radioactive exposure in particular.
Word family
- hazmat noun
- Short for hazardous materials.
- hazard noun
- A danger or risk.
- hazardous adjective
- Dangerous.
- decontaminate verb
- To remove dangerous substances.
Commonly confused: hazmat suit or wetsuit?
hazmat suit vs wetsuit
A wetsuit keeps divers warm in cold water and does not protect against chemicals.
Practice
The crew put on ____ before entering the area contaminated by chemicals.
Choose one answer.
A hazmat suit protects against hazardous substances. A wetsuit is for water sports and gives no chemical protection.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hazmat suit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.