organ Hear it!

organ Definition

or·gan (ôrgən)

noun

    1. a large wind instrument consisting of various sets of pipes which, as they are opened by corresponding keys on one or more keyboards, allow passage to a column of compressed air that causes sound by vibration
    2. any of several musical instruments producing similar or somewhat similar sounds
    3. Archaic any musical instrument; esp., a wind instrument
  1. in animals and plants, a part composed of specialized tissues and adapted to the performance of a specific function or functions
  2. a means or instrument for the performance of some action an organ of local government
  3. a means of communicating ideas or opinions, as a periodical

Etymology: ME organe < OE organa & OFr organe, both < L organum, tool, implement (in LL(Ec), a church organ) < Gr organon, an implement, engine < ergon, work

organ Synonyms

organ

n.

  1. An instrument

    medium, means, way; see device 1, tool 1.

  2. A part of an organism having a specialized use

    vital part, vital structure, functional division, process; see gland.

    Human organs include: brain, heart, eye, ear, nose, tongue, lung, kidney, stomach, intestine, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, liver, testis, uterus, ovary, fallopian tube, bladder, penis.

  3. A musical instrument

    wind instrument, keyboard instrument, harmonium, melodeon, calliope, hurdy-gurdy, accordion; see also musical instrument.

    Types of organs include: great, swell, choir, orchestral, solo, pipe, echo, pedal, altar, chancel, antiphonal, gallery, floating, barrel, reed, electric, electronic, hand, grind, street.

  4. A periodical

    journal, newsletter, newspaper, publication, rag*; see also journal 2.

organ Usage Examples

Converse of object

donate: Or should they be expected to donate organs out of charity?

Preposition: for

  • transplantation: The report examines the ethical issues surrounding the use of animal organs for transplantation into humans.
  • transplant: You may even have sacrificed some of your blood or even an organ for transplant.

Adjective modifier

  • reproductive: The male and female reproductive organs can also be affected.
  • internal: The affected areas from mesothelioma cancer are the lining of the internal organs in the body.
  • transplanted: It suppresses the white blood cells which trigger a rejection response to the transplanted organ.
  • vital: This ensures that the vital organs get the oxygen they require.
  • sensory: The skin is the largest sensory organ in the body, covered in receptors of varying densities.
  • digestive: Moreover, mortality data show an increased rate of cancers for the digestive organs in the Department.

Modifies a noun

  • transplant: Hundreds of people's lives are saved every year by organ transplants.
  • transplantation: The latter has the advantages that it does not require whole organ transplantation.
  • recital: In May he gave an organ recital at Dover College, an event organized by The Dover Society.
  • donation: Buddhism and organ donation Hindu Dharma and organ donation Could I be a living kidney donor?
  • builder: To finish, a very interesting scheme by an organ builder for his own residence organ.
  • donor: However, under 1 % of organ donors are black.

Noun used with modifier

  • hammond: Their sound is given an extra twist by having a hammond organ in the set up.
  • pipe: Billy couldn't take a pipe organ with him, in fact he didn't own one.
  • fairground: Making a repeat visit to Corris - the fairground organ provided some of the atmosphere for us.
  • mouth: I was having difficulty up to now playing them on the mouth organ.
  • donor: It is recognized that there is a shortage of available donor organs.

Browse dictionary entries near organ

  1. org
  2. Orff
  3. Öresund
  4. Orestes
  5. Orenburg
  6. Orem
  7. Orel
  8. Oregonian
  9. Oregon Trail
  10. Oregon myrtle
  1. organ grinder
  2. organ of Corti
  3. organdy
  4. organelle
  5. organic
  6. organic growth
  7. organic law
  8. organically
  9. organicism
  10. organism