thiourea

[ thahy-oh-yoo-ree-uh, -yoor-ee-uh ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a colorless, crystalline, bitter-tasting, water-soluble solid, CH 4 N 2 S, derived from urea by replacement of the oxygen with sulfur: used chiefly in photography, inorganic synthesis, and to accelerate the vulcanization of rubber.

thiourea

/ ˌθaɪəʊˈjʊərɪə /

noun

1. a white water-soluble crystalline substance with a bitter taste that forms addition compounds with metal ions and is used in photographic fixing, rubber vulcanization, and the manufacture of synthetic resins. Formula: H 2 NCSNH 2

thiourea

/ thī′ō-y-rē′ə /

1. A lustrous white crystalline compound used as a developer in photography and photocopying and in various organic syntheses. Thiourea has the same structure as urea, but with a sulfur atom in place of the oxygen atom. Chemical formula: CH 4 N 2 S.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thiourea¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1890–95; thio-, urea