urea
[ yoo-ree-uh, yoo r-ee-uh ]
/ yʊˈri ə, ˈyʊər i ə /
noun
Biochemistry.
a compound, CO(NH2)2, occurring in urine and other body fluids as a product of protein metabolism.
Chemistry.
a water-soluble powder form of this compound, obtained by the reaction of liquid ammonia and liquid carbon dioxide: used as a fertilizer, animal feed, in the synthesis of plastics, resins, and barbiturates, and in medicine as a diuretic and in the diagnosis of kidney function.
Also called
carbamide.
Origin of urea
OTHER WORDS FROM urea
u·re·al, u·re·ic, adjectiveWords nearby urea
Example sentences from the Web for urea
British Dictionary definitions for urea
urea
/ (ˈjʊərɪə) /
noun
a white water-soluble crystalline compound with a saline taste and often an odour of ammonia, produced by protein metabolism and excreted in urine. A synthetic form is used as a fertilizer, animal feed, and in the manufacture of synthetic resins. Formula: CO(NH 2) 2
Also called: carbamide
Derived forms of urea
ureal or ureic, adjectiveWord Origin for urea
C19: from New Latin, from French
urée, from Greek
ouron
urine
Medical definitions for urea
urea
[ yu-rē′ə ]
n.
A water-soluble compound that is the major nitrogenous end product of protein metabolism and is the chief nitrogenous component of the urine in mammals and other organisms.
carbamide
Scientific definitions for urea
urea
[ yu-rē′ə ]
The chief nitrogen-containing waste product excreted in the urine of mammals and some fish. It is the final nitrogenous product in the breakdown of proteins by the body, during which amino groups (NH2) are removed from amino acids and converted into ammonium ions (NH4), which are toxic at high concentrations. The liver then converts the ammonium ions into urea. Urea is also made artificially for use in fertilizers and medicine. Chemical formula: CON2H4.