organ
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.
any of various similar instruments, as a reed organ or an electronic organ.
a barrel organ or hand organ.
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.
a newspaper, magazine, or other means of communicating information, thoughts, or opinions, especially in behalf of some organization, political group, or the like.
an instrument or means, as of action or performance: This committee will be the chief organ of administration.
Archaic. any of various musical instruments, especially wind, instruments.
Origin of organ
1Other words for organ
Other words from organ
- in·ter·or·gan, adjective
- mul·ti·or·gan, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use organ in a sentence
The brain, also an organ, is particularly sensitive to the loss of oxygen.
What It’s Like to Wake Up Dead | Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad | November 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIndeed, the body would ultimately have rejected the organ transplant.
Jon Stewart and 'Meet The Press' Would Have Been One Unhappy Marriage | Lloyd Grove | October 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTBut in Jersey City the fight goes on, with fabulous organ accompaniment.
6 Must-Read Stories of Blondie, Spies and Riotous Feminists: The Best of The Beast | The Daily Beast | October 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAs the film starts, the organ sinks back down below the stage where the musician can be heard and not seen.
How to Save Silent Movies: Inside New Jersey’s Cinema Paradiso | Rich Goldstein | October 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTTo easily switch between sounds, the organ is outfitted with dozens of preset buttons like the kind found in old radios.
How to Save Silent Movies: Inside New Jersey’s Cinema Paradiso | Rich Goldstein | October 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But he forgot the stagnant town, the bald-headed man at the club window, the organ and "The Manola."
Bella Donna | Robert HichensIn the first case “I” stands for the person using it, and in the last case it means the organ of sight.
Assimilative Memory | Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)The primal rigidity of the straight line yields later on to the freedom of an organ.
Children's Ways | James SullyOf course there had been no organ in this church before, or the worthy deacon might have known more about it.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing MillerThe flute, a component part of the organ, is one of the most ancient of musical instruments.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing Miller
British Dictionary definitions for organ
/ (ˈɔːɡən) /
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
(as modifier): organ pipe; organ stop; organ loft
any instrument, such as a harmonium, in which sound is produced in this way: See also reed organ, harmonica
short for electric organ (def. 1a), electronic organ
a fully differentiated structural and functional unit, such as a kidney or a root, in an animal or plant
an agency or medium of communication, esp a periodical issued by a specialist group or party
an instrument with which something is done or accomplished
a euphemistic word for penis
Origin of organ
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for organ
[ ôr′gən ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for organ
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.
Notes for organ
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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