DictionaryRoot: -alis
Latin

-alis

of, relating to

Forms

  • -alis
  • -aris — Latin variant especially used when the stem already contained l, avoiding a repeated l sound.
  • -al — English ending borrowed through French or directly from Latin.
  • -ar — English ending continuing Latin -aris.

Origin

An older Latin adjective-forming suffix; its more remote ancestry is uncertain.

Note

Expresses a relationship without specifying its kind: material, place, purpose, and other connections are possible.

275 / 291
noun

urinal

YUR-in-l/ˈjʊrɪnl/

A receptacle designed to be urinated into.

The restroom has a urinal mounted next to the toilet.

A single recognizable wall-mounted porcelain urinal, shown in three-quarter view with its open vertical basin, drain and flush valve clearly visible.
Etymology

The pieces mean “relating to urine,” but the noun originally named a glass vessel for collecting urine for medical inspection. Its meaning broadened to a chamber pot and then to the men's bathroom fixture.

In context

Rena Malik, M.D.0:00
You finish peeing, you're at the urinal you zip up
Why men have urinary dribble and what to do about it! | After Dribble

More examples

  • The nurse places a portable urinal within the patient's reach.
  • A divider separates the two urinals.
  • This waterless urinal does not need flushing.

Forms

urinal · urinals

urine noun — Liquid waste produced by the kidneys.

urinate verb — To release urine from the body.

Similar words

toilet
Receives solid bodily waste as well as urine.
bedpan
Holds urine or solid waste from someone confined to bed.