ureter

noun

ure·​ter ˈyu̇r-ə-tər  yu̇-ˈrē-tər 

: either of the paired ducts that carry away the urine from a kidney to the bladder or cloaca

ureteral

yu̇-ˈrē-tə-rəl 

adjective

or less commonly ureteric

ˌyu̇r-ə-ˈter-ik 

Examples of ureter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

However, some can move into the upper urinary tract, comprised of the kidneys and ureters (the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder), and become more serious.1 Most UTIs are considered uncomplicated or simple. —Cordelia Nwankwo, Verywell Health, 24 Mar. 2025

Physicians typically begin by managing pain with over-the-counter medications or prescription drugs that help dilate the ureter muscles, enabling the stone to pass from the ureter to the bladder. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025

The infection can also spread and affect other parts of your urinary tract, including your bladder, ureters (the tubes that connect your kidneys to your bladder), and kidneys. —Korin Miller, SELF, 17 Mar. 2025

The new step, announced on Wednesday, creates a presumptive service connection for Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans diagnosed with acute and chronic leukemias, multiple myelomas, myelodysplastic syndromes, myelofibrosis, urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary cancers. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek ourētēr, from ourein to urinate — more at urine

First Known Use

1543, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ureter

• aliter
• ammeter
• completer
• demeter
• preheater
• repeater
• saltpetre
• amphitheater
• centimeter
• centimetre
• decimeter
• ergometer

Kids Definition

ureter

noun

ure·​ter ˈyu̇r-ət-ər 

: a tube that carries urine from a kidney to the bladder or cloaca

Medical Definition

ureter

noun

ure·​ter ˈyu̇r-ət-ər  yu̇-ˈrēt-ər 

: either of the paired ducts that carry away urine from a kidney to the bladder or cloaca and that in humans are slender membranous epithelium-lined flat tubes about sixteen inches (41 centimeters) long which open above into the pelvis of a kidney and below into the back part of the same side of the bladder at a very oblique angle