ORGANS
Noun
organs
plural of organ
Verb
organs
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of organ
Anagrams
• Garons, Garson, Ragons, Rogans, Sargon, argons, groans, nagors, orangs, rangos, sarong
Source: Wiktionary
ORGAN
Or"gan, n. Etym: [L. organum, Gr. 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.)
Definition: 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. Etym: [Cf. AS. organ, fr. L. organum.] (Mus.)
Definition: 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 (Zoöl.), a Tasmanian crow shrike (Gymnorhina
organicum). It utters discordant notes like those of a hand organ out
of tune.
– Organ fish (Zoöl.), 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. (Zoöl.) See Tubipora.
– Organ point (Mus.), a passage in which the tonic or dominant is
sustained continuously by one part, while the other parts move.
Or"gan, v. t.
Definition: To supply with an organ or organs; to fit with organs; to
organize. [Obs.]
Thou art elemented and organed for other apprehensions. Bp.
Mannyngham.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition