urethra meaning: definition, etymology

urethra

noun

UK /jʊəˈɹiːθɹə/ · US /jʊˈɹiθɹə/

Etymology Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek οὐρήθρα (ourḗthra, “the passage for urine”), from οὐρέω (ouréō, “to make water”). Recorded in English since 1634.

Anatomy, Medicine, Sciences The tube through which urine exits the body and, in male placental mammals, through which semen is ejaculated.

Derived terms: prostatic urethra, urethritis
Related terms: ureter, urinary tract
Hypernyms: urogenital sinus - embryological precursor