urinal

[ yoo r-uh-nl ]

/ ˈyʊər ə nl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR urinal ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a flushable wall fixture, as in a public lavatory, used by men for urinating.

a building or enclosure containing such fixtures.

a receptacle to receive the urine of a person with urinary incontinence or that of a bedridden person.

Nearby words

Origin of urinal

1225–75; Middle English < Old French < Late Latin ūrīnāle, neuter of ūrīnalis of urine. See urine, -al²

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

Examples from the Web for urinal

This is not the same thing that artists have been doing since Duchamp hung a urinal on a wall and called it art.
Art on the Tracks|Malcolm Jones|February 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even their drinking fountain is famous: a urinal Papa lugged home in a stupor from his favorite bar.
The Cat's Meow: Top 10 Destinations for Feline Fanatics|Lonely Planet|December 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Daily Pic: Everything the pop master made pointed back to Duchamp's urinal.
Warhol's Self-Portrait as a Toilet|Blake Gopnik|September 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Keep the night-stool and urinal ready for whenever he calls, and take it back when done with.
Early English Meals and Manners|Various

They are represented in deep consultation upon the contents of an urinal.
The Works of William Hogarth: In a Series of Engravings|John Trusler
Death habited as a modern beau, with chapeau-bras, brings his urinal to the Doctor for inspection.
The Dance of Death|Francis Douce
A urinal made of two long boards joined together to form a V-shaped trough and drained by a pipe into the pit completes the whole.
Military Instructors Manual|James P. Cole and Oliver Schoonmaker
He replied timidly that he wanted the urinal, and when the orderly hurried to him bringing it, he was dead.
The New Book Of Martyrs|Georges Duhamel

British Dictionary definitions for urinal

urinal

/ (jʊˈraɪnəl, ˈjʊərɪ-) /

noun

a sanitary fitting, esp one fixed to a wall, used by men for urination

a room containing urinals

any vessel for holding urine prior to its disposal

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

Word Origin and History for urinal

urinal

late 13c., "glass vial to receive urine for medical inspection," from Old French urinal, from Late Latin urinal, from Latin urinalis (adj.) "relating to urine," from urina (see urine). Meaning "chamber pot" is from late 15c. Modern sense of "fixture for urinating (for men)" is attested from 1851.