uric acid


noun
  1. Biochemistry. a compound, C5H4N4O3, present in mammalian urine in small amounts, and the principal nitrogenous component of the excrement of reptiles and birds, that in the form of its salts occurs in the joints in gout and as the major constituent of kidney stones.

  2. Chemistry. a white, crystalline, odorless, tasteless, very slightly water-soluble powder form of this compound, obtained chiefly from urine or bird excrement or synthesized, used chiefly in organic synthesis.

Origin of uric acid

1
First recorded in 1790–1800

Other words from uric acid

  • uric-acid, adjective

Words Nearby uric acid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use uric acid in a sentence

  • The amount of the other purin bodies together is about one-tenth that of uric acid.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • uric acid is decreased before an attack of gout and increased afterward, but its etiologic relation is still uncertain.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • An increase is also noted in the uric-acid diathesis and in diseases accompanied by respiratory insufficiency.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • Factors which favor an early deposit are high acidity, diminished urinary pigments, and excessive excretion of uric acid.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • When treated with hydrochloric or acetic acid they slowly dissolve and rhombic crystals of uric acid appear.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for uric acid

uric acid

noun
  1. a white odourless tasteless crystalline product of protein metabolism, present in the blood and urine; 2,6,8-trihydroxypurine. Formula: C 5 H 4 N 4 O 3

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for uric acid

uric acid

[ yurĭk ]


  1. The chief nitrogen-containing waste product excreted in the urine of birds, insects, and most reptiles. It is produced by the breakdown of amino acids in the liver. Uric acid is also produced in small quantities in humans by the breakdown of purines, and elevated levels in the blood can lead to gout. Chemical formula: C5H4N4O3.

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