organ

American  

[awr-guhn] / ˈɔr gən /

noun

• organs
  plural

1. Also called pipe organ.  a musical instrument consisting of one or more sets of pipes sounded by means of compressed air, played by means of one or more keyboards, and capable of producing a wide range of musical effects.

2. any of various similar instruments, as a reed organ or an electronic organ.

3. a barrel organ or hand organ.

4. Biology. a grouping of tissues into a distinct structure, as a heart or kidney in animals or a leaf or stamen in plants, that performs a specialized task.

5. penis

6. a newspaper, magazine, or other means of communicating information, thoughts, or opinions, especially in behalf of some organization, political group, or the like.

   Synonyms:

   channel, instrument, journal, publication

7. an instrument or means, as of action or performance.

   This committee will be the chief organ of administration.

8. Archaic. any of various musical instruments, especially wind, instruments.

---

organ British  

/ ˈɔːɡən /

noun

1. 1. Also called: pipe organ.  a large complex musical keyboard instrument in which sound is produced by means of a number of pipes arranged in sets or stops, supplied with air from a bellows. The largest instruments possess three or more manuals and one pedal keyboard and have the greatest range of any instrument

   2. ( as modifier )

      organ pipe

      organ stop

      organ loft

2. any instrument, such as a harmonium, in which sound is produced in this way See also reed organ harmonica

3. short for electric organ electronic organ

4. a fully differentiated structural and functional unit, such as a kidney or a root, in an animal or plant

5. an agency or medium of communication, esp a periodical issued by a specialist group or party

6. an instrument with which something is done or accomplished

7. a euphemistic word for penis

---

organ Scientific  

/ ôr′gən /

1. A distinct part of an organism that performs one or more specialized functions. Examples of organs are the eyes, ears, lungs, and heart of an animal, and the roots, stems, and leaves of a plant.

---

organ Cultural  

1. Part of a living thing, distinct from the other parts, that is adapted for a specific function. Organs are made up of tissues and are grouped into systems, such as the digestive system.

---

Discover More

The brain, liver, and skin are organs.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interorgan
  adjective
• multiorgan
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• organs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of organ

before 1000; Middle English: musical instrument, pipe organ, organ of the body, tool (< Medieval Latin, Latin organum mechanical device, instrument) < Greek órganon implement, tool, bodily organ, musical instrument, akin to érgon work

Explanation

An organ is a part of your body that performs a specific function: like your brain, lungs, or skin. You might not use the word organ often, but you use organs every second; imagine getting through a day without your heart, lungs, or brain. Some people choose to be organ donors — meaning that, after their deaths, they donate their organs to people in need of organ transplants. An organ may also serve a specific function for an institution: a periodical like a newsletter can be an organ of an organization. An organ is also the wind instrument — sometimes called a pipe organ — often played in church.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

organ organs

In my hometown, Seattle, our Paramount Theatre hosts Silent Movie Mondays quarterly, accompanying each screening with a live performance on the venue’s original Mighty Wurlitzer organ.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2026

“Hitch a Ride” starts as a ballad akin to the Beatles’ “Dear Prudence,” but the tempo quickly picks up, and multiple guitars come and go with an organ underneath.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

While NHS Blood and Transplant manages organ donations and supports transplant centres, services are commissioned and paid for by NHS England.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Muscle is also an organ in its own right.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

They wandered through a blood-colored room filled with old theatrical organs, huge organ pipes, and what appeared to be enormous copper brewing vats, liberated from a brewery.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

When delivered along with pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug and the current standard of care, intismeran autogene prevented melanoma recurrence and prevented the cancer from spreading to other organs, the companies said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

The study also met a secondary goal of preventing the disease from spreading to different organs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Due to the state of the body, investigators were limited in their “ability to estimate the range of fire, other possible injuries involving skin, soft tissues and organs, and underlying natural disease,” the report said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

In a statement, NHS England said transplant services are "complex and impacted by many factors, including the number of organs made available for transplantation, but the NHS is working hard to improve these lifesaving services".

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

You are really a collection of parts: organs and bones, tendons and teeth.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• agency
• forum
• instrument
• member
• ministry
• mouthpiece
• structure
• unit