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; uro- ¹

Example Sentences

The prices for fertilizers such as urea are up sharply, and lower availability could weigh on crop yields in coming seasons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Prices for futures of urea, a key nitrogen fertilizer, have more than doubled compared to early December.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

The war has jacked up the price of oil and snarled supply chains for a variety of other important commodities, from aluminum to urea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Prices are up worldwide, with fertilizer plants closing in Bangladesh, raising the specter of an urea shortage.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

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

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan