# urinal

/jˈɔːɹɪnəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/urinal
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. bathroom fixture

noun · CEFR B1

a bowl attached to a wall in a public toilet for men to use.

For teachers: a plumbing fixture attached to a wall, typically found in public restrooms for males, designed for urination.

- The men's room was crowded, with a long line for the only available urinal.
- Modern stadium designs often prioritise high-capacity troughs over individual urinals to manage the heavy foot traffic during half-time intervals.

### 2. medical bottle

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a bottle or container used by patients in a hospital who cannot get out of bed to go to the toilet.

For teachers: a portable vessel used for collecting urine from patients who are bedridden or have limited mobility.

- The nurse brought a plastic urinal for the patient who had just had surgery.
- The clinical staff monitored the patient's fluid output by measuring the volume collected in the bedside urinal every four hours.

### 3. glass vessel

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

an old-fashioned glass bottle used by early scientists or doctors.

For teachers: an oblong glass vessel, historically used by alchemists or for medical examination of urine.

- The museum displayed an ancient glass urinal used by doctors hundreds of years ago.
- The alchemist's laboratory was cluttered with various retorts and glass urinals used for the distillation of volatile compounds.

### 4. relating to urine

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

relating to the system in your body that produces and carries urine.

For teachers: relating to or involving the production or excretion of urine; a less common synonym for urinary.

- The doctor explained the urinal functions of the kidneys during the check-up.
- The researcher presented a paper on the urinal tract infections prevalent in the local population, though most colleagues preferred the term urinary.

## Examples

- The nurse handed me a clean urinal for the test.
- After the patient provided the sample, the technician placed the urinal in a refrigerator to maintain the integrity of the urine.
- Standard protocol requires that the urinal be labeled with the patient's full name and the exact time of collection to ensure the laboratory results are accurate and traceable.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.