urea

American  

[yoo-ree-uh, yoor-ee-uh] / yʊˈri ə, ˈyʊər i ə /

noun

1. Biochemistry. a compound, CO(NH2 ) 2 , occurring in urine and other body fluids as a product of protein metabolism.

2. 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.

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urea British  

/ ˈjʊərɪə /

noun

1. Also called: carbamide.  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

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urea Scientific  

/ y-rē′ə /

1. 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 (NH ₂) are removed from amino acids and converted into ammonium ions (NH ₄), 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: CON ₂ H ₄ .

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ureal
  adjective
• ureic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of urea

1800–10; < New Latin < French urée; ultimately < Greek oûron urine or oureîn to urinate; see uro- ¹

Example Sentences

Urea, the key input for fertiliser, has doubled in price.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Urea, a crucial fertilizer, and helium, which is needed to make microchips, are in short supply due to the war.

From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026

Urea prices are up nearly 12% from this time last year, and the other seven categories of fertilizers monitored by DTN are also higher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Urea is a low-cost nitrogen agriculture fertilizer and a natural product from human metabolism.

From Science Daily • Jan. 18, 2024

Urea Solid By the oxidation in the liver of nitrogenous compounds.

From Physiology and Hygiene for Secondary Schools by Walters, Francis M.