organic

¹or·gan·ic

adj \ȯr-ˈga-nik\

Definition of ORGANIC

1

archaic : instrumental

2

a : of, relating to, or arising in a bodily organ b : affecting the structure of the organism

3

a (1) : of, relating to, or derived from living organisms <organic evolution> (2) : of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides <organic farming> <organic produce> b (1) : of, relating to, or containing carbon compounds (2) : relating to, being, or dealt with by a branch of chemistry concerned with the carbon compounds of living beings and most other carbon compounds

4

a : forming an integral element of a whole : fundamental <incidental music rather than organic parts of the action — Francis Fergusson> b : having systematic coordination of parts : organized <an organic whole> c : having the characteristics of an organism : developing in the manner of a living plant or animal <society is organic>

5

: of, relating to, or constituting the law by which a government or organization exists

— or·gan·i·cal·ly \-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

— or·ga·nic·i·ty \ˌȯr-gə-ˈni-sə-tē\ noun

Examples of ORGANIC

1. He thinks of the city not as a collection of different neighborhoods but as an organic whole.
2. This neighborhood is an organic part of the city.

First Known Use of ORGANIC

1517

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

fallow, graft, heirloom, loam, potash, soilage, swath, tilth, windfall

Rhymes with ORGANIC

Balkanic, Brahmanic, Britannic, galvanic, Germanic, Hispanic, Koranic, mechanic, melanic, Romanic, satanic, shamanic, sultanic, tympanic, volcanic