thiouracil

American

[thahy-oh-yoor-uh-sil] / ˌθaɪ oʊˈyʊər ə sɪl /

noun

Pharmacology.

a white, slightly water-soluble, bitter, crystalline powder C 4 H 4 N 2 OS, used chiefly in treating hyperthyroidism by reducing the activity of the thyroid gland.

thiouracil British

/ ˌθaɪəʊˈjʊərəsɪl /

noun

a white crystalline water-insoluble substance with an intensely bitter taste, used in medicine to treat hyperthyroidism; 2-thio-4-oxypyrimidine. Formula: C 4 H 4 N 2 OS

"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

Etymology

Origin of thiouracil

First recorded in 1940–45; thio- + uracil

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hogs may soon be fed thiouracil, the opposite of thyroxine, to make their figures fatter and more attractive.

From Time Magazine Archive

Thiouracil is a synthetic drug which slows metabolism, the rate at which the body burns its fuel-food.

From Time Magazine Archive

For each 100 Ibs. of weight gained, they ate 27.5% less feed than hogs that were deprived of thiouracil.

From Time Magazine Archive

Thiouracil, used for disturbances of the thyroid gland, may make the legs swell, damage the white blood cells, cause death.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023