The herb, U. dioica (family Urticaceae); a weed, the leaves of which produce a stinging sensation when touching the skin. It has been used as a diuretic and hemostatic in metrorrhagia, epistaxis, and hematemesis. SYN: nettle. [L. a nettle, fr. uro, pp. ustus, to burn]
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ur·ti·ca 'ərt-i-kə n
1) cap a genus (the type of the family Urticaceae) of widely distributed plants comprising the nettles and having leaves with stinging hairs and small greenish flowers
2) NETTLE (1)
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Ur·ti·ca (ər-tiґkə) [L.] the nettles, a genus of plants of the family Urticaceae that are covered with stinging hairs and secrete a poisonous fluid. U. dioґica is a type of stinging nettle that grows in temperate regions and is stimulating, diuretic, and hemostatic.Medical dictionary. 2011.