BIOLOGICAL AGENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does biological agent mean? 

• BIOLOGICAL AGENT (noun)
  The noun BIOLOGICAL AGENT has 1 sense:

1. any bacterium or virus or toxin that could be used in biological warfare

  Familiarity information: BIOLOGICAL AGENT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BIOLOGICAL AGENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

biohazard; biological agent

Hypernyms ("biological agent" is a kind of...):

agent (an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect)

 Context examples 

Any organism or biological agent that causes illness or disease to a separate organism.

(Pathogen, NCI Thesaurus)

Also called biologic agent and biological agent.

(Biological drug, NCI Dictionary)

Also called biological agent and biological drug.

(Biologic agent, NCI Dictionary)

This bacterium has been classified as a Category A critical biological agent due to its ease of dissemination by aerosol, causing high mortality with the potential for a major public health impact.

(Francisella tularensis, NCI Thesaurus)

Any chemical substance, biological agent or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest, including insects, plant pathogens, weeds, mollusks, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes (roundworms) and microbes that compete with humans for food, destroy property, spread or are a vector for disease or are a nuisance.

(Pesticide, NCI Thesaurus)

An application submitted to a regulatory agency according to the Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 314 and 601 in order to seek permission to market a new pharmaceutical, or biological agent, or antibiotic for human use.

(Application to Market New Drug, Biologic, or Antibiotic for Human Use, NCI Thesaurus)