About
脲 is a modern phono-semantic compound created for chemical terminology. Its left radical 月, a reduced form of 肉 (flesh), indicates a connection to the body or organic matter. The right component 尿 (urine) supplies the pronunciation "niào" and the semantic reference to the biological source. The character was coined to translate "urea", the main nitrogenous waste in mammalian urine. With no ancient textual history, it is used solely in modern chemistry, biology, and medicine.
Report an issue
Flag incorrect definitions, examples, etymology, etc.