organ

1 of 2

noun

or·​gan ˈȯr-gən How to pronounce organ (audio)
1
a
: a differentiated structure (such as a heart, kidney, leaf, or stem) consisting of cells and tissues and performing some specific function in an organism
b
: bodily parts performing a function or cooperating in an activity
the eyes and related structures that make up the visual organs
2
a(1)
: a keyboard instrument in which sets of pipes are sounded by compressed air and produce a variety of timbres

called also pipe organ

(2)
: an electronic keyboard instrument that approximates the sounds and resources of the pipe organ
(3)
(4)
: any of various similar cruder instruments
b
archaic : any of various musical instruments
especially : wind instrument
3
: a subordinate group or organization that performs specialized functions
the various organs of government
4

organ-

2 of 2

combining form

variants or organo-
1
: organ
organogenesis
2
: organic
organomercurial

Examples of organ in a Sentence

Noun the legislative organ of our government that newspaper is intended as an organ for the whole university community
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Eventually, organ tissue stops functioning, Dillman said. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Rounding out the lineup are original Bassist Nick Seymour and Mitchell Froom, the producer of their first album, who played the iconic organ parts on their earlier hits. Spin Staff, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2024 Lead is a potent neurotoxin that causes severe health effects such as neurological damage, organ failure and death. Aaron Specht, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 In their reproductive phase, males grow larger olfactory organs to find mates but lose their teeth, indicating a shift of energy towards mating at the expense of other functions. Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 The immunosuppressant drugs needed to maintain this kind of transplant can have short- and long-term effects on the kidneys and other organ systems. Amanda Musa, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 This would reduce the biological breakdown that occurs in organs after even a few minutes without oxygen. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 These tests have raised fears of accidentally spreading a pig virus to people and concerns over sacrificing thousands of these pigs for organ harvesting. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 The team assumes that competition between males in a very dark and murky environment has contributed to the development of this special noise making organ. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'organ.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, partly from Old English organa, from Latin organum, from Greek organon, literally, tool, instrument; partly from Anglo-French organe, from Latin organum; akin to Greek ergon work — more at work

Combining form

Greek organon

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Time Traveler
The first known use of organ was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near organ

Cite this Entry

“Organ.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/organ. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

organ

noun
or·​gan ˈȯr-gən How to pronounce organ (audio)
1
a
: a keyboard musical instrument in which sets of pipes are sounded by compressed air
b
: an electronic keyboard musical instrument by which sounds like those of an organ are made
2
: a part (as a kidney or leaf) of a person, plant, or animal that consists of cells and tissues and is specialized to do a particular task compare system sense 1b
3
: a way of getting something done
courts are organs of government
4
: a publication (as a newspaper or magazine) of a special group

Medical Definition

organ

noun
or·​gan ˈȯr-gən How to pronounce organ (audio)
: a differentiated structure (as a heart or kidney) consisting of cells and tissues and performing some specific function in an organism

More from Merriam-Webster on organ

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