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Glite Dictionary
hydroxyurea

hydroxyurea

1 7.5
A drug that slows cell growth and treats some cancers and blood disorders
  • noun
  • /haɪˌdrɒksɪˈjʊəriə/
  • Specialized
: hidroxiurea
  • Doctors often prescribe hydroxyurea to help patients manage their sickle cell disease symptoms.

Examples

  • The use of hydroxyurea can significantly reduce the frequency of painful episodes for individuals with certain blood disorders.

  • We're going to ask after we take out the hydroxyurea we're going to put in Colosimid.

  • In clinical trials, hydroxyurea has been shown to slow the progression of specific types of cancer.

Surface Forms

hydroxyurea singular
hydroxyureas plural

Morphology

hydroxyurea = urea (opaque) = hydroxy + urea

Although analyzable as 'hydroxy' + 'urea' in chemical terms, the term is technical and not transparently understood by average learners from its parts.

Etymology

Hydroxyurea combines hydroxy ('water') and urea (a simple chemical first found in urine). So, hydroxyurea is a changed form of urea with a small 'water' part added, which helps explain why this chemical is used as a medicine to slow the growth of cells.