urethra

[ yoo-ree-thruh ]

/ yʊˈri θrə /

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noun, plural u·re·thrae

[yoo-ree-three], /yʊˈri θri/, u·re·thras.Anatomy.

the membranous tube that extends from the urinary bladder to the exterior and that in the male conveys semen as well as urine.

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Origin of urethra

First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin ūrēthra, from Greek ourḗthra, equivalent to ourē- + -thra noun suffix; see ureter

OTHER WORDS FROM urethra

u·re·thral, adjectivesub·u·re·thral, adjectivetrans·u·re·thral, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH urethra

ureter, urethra

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use urethra in a sentence

Before passing the catheter, the nurse carefully wipes away the mucus from the urethral orifice.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
A urethral caruncle is a bright red, tender tumour, usually on the posterior portion of the urethral orifice.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various
He had now some ailments that had become chronic,—dyspepsia and a urethral complication, which often caused him intense suffering.
William Hickling Prescott|Harry Thurston Peck
On September 29, 1958, the complaint was urethral discharge.
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

And on 9-23-58, report of a urethral discharge sensitivity test.
Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for urethra

urethra

/ (jʊˈriːθrə) /

noun plural -thrae (-θriː) or -thras

the canal that in most mammals conveys urine from the bladder out of the body. In human males it also conveys semen

Derived forms of urethra

urethral, adjective

Word Origin for urethra

C17: via Late Latin from Greek ourēthra, from ourein to urinate

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 urethra

urethra

[ yu-rē′thrə ]

Plural urethras urethrae (yu-rē′thrē)

The duct through which urine passes from the bladder to the outside of the body in most mammals and some fish and birds. In males, the urethra passes through the penis and also serves as the duct for the release of sperm, which enter the urethra from the vas deferens.

Cultural definitions for urethra

urethra

[ (yoo-ree-thruh) ]

A tube through which urine moves from the urinary bladder out of the body. In the male, the urethra also acts as the passageway for semen.