urethra

[ yoo-ree-thruh ]

/ yʊˈri θrə /

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.

Nearby words

ureteroureterostomy, ureterovesicostomy, ureters, urethane, urethr-, urethra, urethral artery, urethral caruncle, urethral crest, urethral gland, urethral groove

Origin of urethra

1625–35; < Late Latin < Greek ourḗthra, equivalent to ourē- (see ureter) + -thra noun suffix

Related forms

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for urethral

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
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
These drops are, he states, derived solely from the glands of Littré and the glands of Cowper (urethral and suburethral glands).
The Sexual Life of the Child|Albert Moll
The formula used in preparing these Urethral Crayons is one of the finest the great Civiale conceived.
Manhood Perfectly Restored|Unknown

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 urethral

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

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

Medicine definitions for urethral

urethra

[ yu-rē′thrə ]

n. pl. u•re•thras

The canal through which urine is discharged from the bladder in most mammals and through which semen is discharged in the male.urogenital canal

Related forms

u•re′thral adj.

Science definitions for urethral

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.

Culture definitions for urethral

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.