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
There are conditions where the heart and many other organs are functioning relatively well, but the brain is very ill.
What It’s Like to Wake Up Dead | Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad | November 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDuring the time of the pharaohs, such funerary vessels were used to store the organs of the deceased.
7 Historically Significant Artifacts Rescued by Happenstance | The Daily Beast | October 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Wonder theaters were all built around the same time, and parts for the organs were shipped out as they became available.
How to Save Silent Movies: Inside New Jersey’s Cinema Paradiso | Rich Goldstein | October 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTScourges, says Rieff, “are what they represent: wounds to the social organs which are themselves deeply disordered.”
To which one would say: Hmm, the homeless man with perfect organs would have had to have been over 500 years old.
Non-phagocytic leukocytosis is probably due more to stimulation of blood-making organs than to chemotaxis.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThis is an idiopathic disease of the blood-making organs, which is accompanied by an enormous increase in number of leukocytes.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddIt will thus be seen that our average church organ is really made up of three or four smaller organs combined.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing MillerThe manual compass on these organs seldom extended higher than f2 or g3, though it often went down to GG.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building | George Laing MillerIn the middle of the last century all organs were voiced on light wind pressure, mostly from an inch and a half to three inches.
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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