urinal

noun

uri·​nal ˈyər-ə-nᵊl 

ˈyu̇r-

British also yu̇-ˈrī-nᵊl

1

: a vessel for receiving urine

2

a

: a building or enclosure with facilities for urinating

b

: a fixture used for urinating

Examples of urinal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cattelan duct-taped a banana to a wall, Hirst put a shark in a tank of formaldehyde, and Duchamp put a urinal in a gallery and signed with a fake name. — Lis Anderson, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Standing urinals in the form of gutters are found at some Roman public buildings, such as the Colosseum. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026

Full-page, print newspaper ads have appeared in outlets like the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Post in recent days featuring the K-pop superstars seemingly standing at a row of urinals in a restroom. — Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 14 July 2026

James Austin From smart beds to cold rice pudding and magic urinals, Tour de France teams are trying everything to combat the heat. — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin, from Latin urina

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for urinal

• chaparral
• ileal
• nonformal
• perceval
• rationale
• supernal
• artisanal
• bal
• dal
• gal
• mal
• pal

Kids Definition

urinal

noun

uri·​nal ˈyu̇r-ən-ᵊl 

: a container for receiving urine

also : a place for urinating

Medical Definition

urinal

noun

uri·​nal ˈyu̇r-ən-ᵊl 

1

: a vessel into which a bedridden person urinates

2

: a container worn by a person with urinary incontinence