genitourinary system
- noun
- /ˌdʒɛnɪtoʊˈjʊrɪnəri ˈsɪstəm/
- Specialized
- The doctor explained how the genitourinary system plays a crucial role in both reproduction and waste elimination.
Examples
-
Infections in the genitourinary system can lead to painful symptoms and complications if not treated promptly.
-
Regular check-ups are important to monitor the health of the genitourinary system and prevent serious conditions.
-
The most common complications that occurred throughout follow-up were of the genitourinary system; these occurred in 18 patients in each treatment group.
Academic text (1996) -
Possibly associated with this finding are the increased admission rates for spontaneous abortions, diseases of the ovary, and symptoms of the genitourinary system.
Academic text (1992)
Synonyms
Body parts that help people have babies and make and pass urine
An organ system that includes the sex organs and the organs that make and pass urine
Parts of the body that help make babies and pass urine
A group of body parts used for making babies and passing urine
Body organs that make and pass urine and help with reproduction
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'genitourinary' (connected to genital and urinary functions) combined with 'system' (an ensemble of organs) straightforwardly yields 'the system of organs involved in reproduction and urine formation and excretion.' This is a literal, cross-linguistically common noun + noun construction, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand it.
Etymology
Genitourinary system joins genital (parts for 'reproduction') and urinary (parts that make and pass 'urine'), creating a clear image of two connected jobs in the body. So it means the group of body parts that work for both 'reproduction' and removing 'urine'.