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

• 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

About half of the world’s agricultural nitrogen-based urea fertilizer supply passes through the strait, along with 30% of global ammonia exports.

From Salon • May 15, 2026

At SKW's sprawling 220-hectare site, a 23-kilometre rail network transports urea, ammonia and finished fertilisers, destined for sites across Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

From Barron's • May 3, 2026

Within weeks of the war starting, the price of urea, the world's most common nitrogen fertiliser, had jumped more than 40%.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

That has all led a rise of around 47% for urea fertilizer prices since the end of February, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest general U.S. farm organization.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

There’s also the protein supplement, a sticky brown goop made of molasses and urea.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan