biological agent
10
6.5
- noun
- /ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl ˈeɪdʒənt/
- NSFW
:
agente biológico
- No one had known about the biological agents being used along the Xingu—not until too late.
- release of a biological agent
- use of biological agents
- chemical and biological agents
Examples
-
And most emergency medical technicians lack the tools to determine which chemical or biological agent may have been used.
Academic text (2004) -
Fort Detrick had for a long time been the central laboratory of the Pentagon for the development of biological agents of warfare.
Academic text (2013) -
The author has estimated the benefits for one biological agent only because that agent has been used in the United States.
Academic text (2005) -
In 2001, a local working group was formed to develop an exposure-to-biological agents response strategy.
Academic text (2004) -
Recently, he has been a leader in detailing the growing concern regarding the use of biological agents as weapons against civilian populations.
Academic text (2002) -
We'll probably use a biological agent, one tailored to attack only the invaders.
Fiction book (1998) -
The CDC convened a task force to search for biological agents.
Fiction book (2002) -
Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations recognize the potential danger to human health posed by biological agents.
Academic text (2011) -
Drug-resistant strains of respirable biological agents are another concern, as are environmental exposures to microbial allergens and pathogens in airborne dust and molds.
Academic text (2006) -
In biological warfare, a biological agent can be used to intentionally spread diseases.
Synonyms
173
4.5
A thing or substance that causes a specific effect, often in medicine
50
5.7
A tiny germ like a virus or a bacterium that causes disease in people and animals
5
4.2
A tiny living thing like a virus or bacterium that can make people and animals sick
1
5.1
A very small thing, living or not, that can make people sick
How Dangerous
- NSFW
10
6.5
- Specialized
50
5.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'biologic(al)' means relating to living organisms and 'agent' means a cause or substance that produces an effect, so together they denote an organism or substance that causes biological effects (e.g., disease). Although used in technical contexts, the sense follows ordinary word-formation patterns and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely understand it.
Etymology
The name biological agent comes from its parts: biological means 'from living things' and agent means 'something that acts'. So the image is of a living thing or substance that acts on people, and that is why the term refers to an organism or toxin used to cause disease or as a 'weapon'.