Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

1 VERB If you urge someone to do something, you try hard to persuade them to do it. □ [V n to-inf] They urged parliament to approve plans for their reform programme.

2 VERB If you urge someone somewhere, you make them go there by touching them or talking to them. □ [V n prep/adv] He slipped his arm around her waist and urged her away from the window. □ [V n] 'Come on, Grace,' he was urging her, 'don't wait, hurry up.'

3 VERB If you urge a course of action, you strongly advise that it should be taken. □ [V n + on ] He urged restraint on the security forces. □ [V n] We urge vigorous action to be taken immediately.

4 N‑COUNT [oft N to-inf] If you have an urge to do or have something, you have a strong wish to do or have it. □  He had an urge to open a shop of his own.

▸  urge on PHRASAL VERB If you urge someone on , you encourage them to do something. □ [V n P ] She had a strong and supportive sister who urged her on. □ [V P n] Visitors remember a lean, cheerful figure on horseback urging on his men.

ur|gent ◆◇◇ /ɜː ^r dʒ ^ə nt/

1 ADJ If something is urgent , it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. □  There is an urgent need for food and water. □  He had urgent business in New York. ●  ur|gen|cy N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] The urgency of finding a cure attracted some of the best minds in medical science. □  It is a matter of utmost urgency. ●  ur|gent|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  Red Cross officials said they urgently needed bread and water. □  The money was most urgently required.

2 ADJ If you speak in an urgent way, you show that you are anxious for people to notice something or to do something. □  His voice was low and urgent. □  His mother leaned forward and spoke to him in urgent undertones. ●  ur|gen|cy N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ in ] She was surprised at the urgency in his voice. ●  ur|gent|ly ADV [ADV with v] □  They hastened to greet him and asked urgently, 'Did you find it?'

uri|nal /jʊra I n ^ə l, [AM ] jʊ r I n ^ə l/ (urinals ) N‑COUNT A urinal is a bowl fixed to the wall of a men's public toilet for men to urinate in.

uri|nary /jʊə r I nəri, [AM ] -neri/ ADJ [ADJ n] Urinary means belonging to or related to the parts of a person's body through which urine flows. [MEDICAL ] □  …urinary tract infections.

uri|nate /jʊə r I ne I t/ (urinates , urinating , urinated ) VERB When someone urinates , they get rid of urine from their body.

urine /jʊə r I n/ N‑UNCOUNT Urine is the liquid that you get rid of from your body when you go to the toilet.

URL /juː ɑːr e l/ (URLs ) N‑COUNT A URL is an address that shows where a particular page can be found on the World Wide Web. URL is an abbreviation for 'Uniform Resource Locator'. [COMPUTING ] □ [+ for ] The URL for Collins dictionaries is http://www.collinsdictionary.com.

urn /ɜː ^r n/ (urns )

1 N‑COUNT An urn is a container in which a dead person's ashes are kept.

2 N‑COUNT An urn is a metal container used for making a large quantity of tea or coffee and keeping it hot.

us ◆◆◆ /əs, STRONG ʌs/ Us is the first person plural pronoun. Us is used as the object of a verb or a preposition. 1 PRON A speaker or writer uses us to refer both to himself or herself and to one or more other people. You can use us before a noun to make it clear which group of people you are referring to. □  Neither of us forgot about it. □  Heather went to the kitchen to get drinks for us. □  They don't like us much. □  He showed us aspects of the game that we had never seen before. □  Another time of great excitement for us boys was when war broke out.