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3 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]
Organ \Or"gan\, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E.
work: cf. F. organe. See Work, and cf. Orgue, Orgy.]
[1913 Webster]
1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is
performed, or an important end accomplished; as,
legislatures, courts, armies, taxgatherers, etc., are
organs of government.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Biol.) A natural part or structure in an animal or a
plant, capable of performing some special action (termed
its function), which is essential to the life or
well-being of the whole; as, the heart, lungs, etc., are
organs of animals; the root, stem, foliage, etc., are
organs of plants.
[1913 Webster]
Note: In animals the organs are generally made up of several
tissues, one of which usually predominates, and
determines the principal function of the organ. Groups
of organs constitute a system. See System.
[1913 Webster]
3. A component part performing an essential office in the
working of any complex machine; as, the cylinder, valves,
crank, etc., are organs of the steam engine.
[1913 Webster]
4. A medium of communication between one person or body and
another; as, the secretary of state is the organ of
communication between the government and a foreign power;
a newspaper is the organ of its editor, or of a party,
sect, etc. A newsletter distributed within an organization
is often called its house organ.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
5. [Cf. AS. organ, fr. L. organum.] (Mus.) A wind instrument
containing numerous pipes of various dimensions and kinds,
which are filled with wind from a bellows, and played upon
by means of keys similar to those of a piano, and
sometimes by foot keys or pedals; -- formerly used in the
plural, each pipe being considered an organ.
[1913 Webster]
The deep, majestic, solemn organs blow. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Chaucer used the form orgon as a plural.
[1913 Webster]
The merry orgon . . . that in the church goon
[go].
[1913 Webster]
Barrel organ, Choir organ, Great organ, etc. See under
Barrel, Choir, etc.
Cabinet organ (Mus.), an organ of small size, as for a
chapel or for domestic use; a reed organ.
Organ bird (Zo["o]l.), a Tasmanian crow shrike ({Gymnorhina
organicum). It utters discordant notes like those of a
hand organ out of tune.
Organ fish (Zo["o]l.), the drumfish.
Organ gun. (Mil.) Same as Orgue
(b) .
Organ harmonium (Mus.), an harmonium of large capacity and
power.
Organ of Corti (Anat.), a complicated structure in the
cochlea of the ear, including the auditory hair cells, the
rods or fibers of Corti, the membrane of Corti, etc. See
Note under Ear.
Organ pipe. See Pipe, n., 1.
Organ-pipe coral. (Zo["o]l.) See Tubipora.
Organ point (Mus.), a passage in which the tonic or
dominant is sustained continuously by one part, while the
other parts move.
[1913 Webster]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
Organ \Or"gan\, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E.
work: cf. F. organe. See Work, and cf. Orgue, Orgy.]
1. An instrument or medium by which some important action is
performed, or an important end accomplished; as,
legislatures, courts, armies, taxgatherers, etc., are
organs of government.
2. (Biol.) A natural part or structure in an animal or a
plant, capable of performing some special action (termed
its function), which is essential to the life or
well-being of the whole; as, the heart, lungs, etc., are
organs of animals; the root, stem, foliage, etc., are
organs of plants.
Note: In animals the organs are generally made up of several
tissues, one of which usually predominates, and
determines the principal function of the organ. Groups
of organs constitute a system. See System.
3. A component part performing an essential office in the
working of any complex machine; as, the cylinder, valves,
crank, etc., are organs of the steam engine.
4. A medium of communication between one person or body and
another; as, the secretary of state is the organ of
communication between the government and a foreign power;
a newspaper is the organ of its editor, or of a party,
sect, etc.
5. [Cf. AS. organ, fr. L. organum.] (Mus.) A wind instrument
containing numerous pipes of various dimensions and kinds,
which are filled with wind from a bellows, and played upon
by means of keys similar to those of a piano, and
sometimes by foot keys or pedals; -- formerly used in the
plural, each pipe being considired an organ.
The deep, majestic, solemn organs blow. --Pope.
Note: Chaucer used the form orgon as a plural.
The merry orgon . . . that in the church goon
[go].
Barrel organ, Choir organ, Great organ, etc. See under
Barrel, Choir, etc.
Cabinet organ (Mus.), an organ of small size, as for a
chapel or for domestic use; a reed organ.
Organ bird (Zo["o]l.), a Tasmanian crow shrike ({Gymnorhina
organicum). It utters discordant notes like those of a
hand organ out of tune.
Organ fish (Zo["o]l.), the drumfish.
Organ gun. (Mil.) Same as Orgue
(b) .
Organ harmonium (Mus.), an harmonium of large capacity and
power.
Organ of Gorti (Anat.), a complicated structure in the
cochlea of the ear, including the auditory hair cells, the
rods or fibers of Corti, the membrane of Corti, etc. See
Note under Ear.
Organ pipe. See Pipe, n., 1.
Organ-pipe coral. (Zo["o]l.) See Tubipora.
Organ point (Mus.), a passage in which the tonic or
dominant is sustained continuously by one part, while the
other parts move.
From English - German Ding/FreeDict dictionary ver. 1.9-fd1 : [ freedict:eng-deu ]
organ point /ˈɔːɡən pˈɔɪnt/
Orgelpunkt [mus.]
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