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uric acid

American  

noun

  1. Biochemistry. a compound, C 5 H 4 N 4 O 3 , present in mammalian urine in small amounts, and the principal nitrogenous component of the excrement of reptiles and birds, that in the form of its salts occurs in the joints in gout and as the major constituent of kidney stones.

  2. Chemistry. a white, crystalline, odorless, tasteless, very slightly water-soluble powder form of this compound, obtained chiefly from urine or bird excrement or synthesized, used chiefly in organic synthesis.

uric acid British  

noun

  1. a white odourless tasteless crystalline product of protein metabolism, present in the blood and urine; 2,6,8-trihydroxypurine. Formula: C 5 H 4 N 4 O 3

"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
uric acid Scientific  
/ yr′ĭk /

  1. The chief nitrogen-containing waste product excreted in the urine of birds, insects, and most reptiles. It is produced by the breakdown of amino acids in the liver. Uric acid is also produced in small quantities in humans by the breakdown of purines, and elevated levels in the blood can lead to gout. Chemical formula: C 5 H 4 N 4 O 3 .

Other Word Forms

  • uric-acid adjective

Etymology

Origin of uric acid

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If uric acid levels rise too much, it can crystallize in the joints and kidneys, causing gout, kidney disease and a number of related conditions.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025

The reintroduced uricase gene again reduced uric acid.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025

Bringing this gene back lowered uric acid, the substance responsible for gout and several other health problems.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025

Research highlighted in the journal Hypertension has linked elevated uric acid to hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and the risks have been compared to those of high cholesterol.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2025

These may arise from irritation by uric acid of the mouth of the bladder in boys, or of the vagina and bladder in girls.

From Degeneracy Its Causes, Signs and Results by Talbot, Eugene S.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.