Definition of "uric acid" []

• A semisolid compound, C5H4N4O3, that is a nitrogenous end product of protein and purine metabolism and is the chief nitrogenous component of the urine in birds, terrestrial reptiles, and insects. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "He had learned once that animals marked their territory with urine because uric acid was the most potent-smelling fluid the human body made."
• "Unexcreted uric acid may crystallize in body tissues and joints, producing swelling and soreness."