urethr-

American  

1. variant of urethro- before a vowel.

   urethrectomy.

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Usage

What does urethr- mean? Urethr- is a combining form used like a prefix representing the word urethra, the tube that carries the urine from the bladder outside the body. In male organisms, the urethra also conveys sperm. Urethr- is used in many medical terms.Urethr- comes from the Greek ourḗthra, from the verb oureîn, “to urinate.” This verb is also the source of the English ureter, a tube in the body that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder; combining forms representing ureter are uretero- and ureter-. Also ultimately deriving from the same root as urethra and ureter are the combining forms uro- and ur-, meaning “urine.”Urethr- is a variant of urethro-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use urethro- article.