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.
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.
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. To supply with an organ or organs; to fit with organs; to
organize. [Obs.]
Thou art elemented and organed for other apprehensions.
Bp. Mannyngham.
{ Or"gan*die, Or"gan*dy } (?), n. [F. organdi.] A kind of transparent
light muslin.
Or*gan"ic (?), a. [L. organicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. organique.] 1. (Biol.)
Of or pertaining to an organ or its functions, or to objects composed
of organs; consisting of organs, or containing them; as, the organic
structure of animals and plants; exhibiting characters peculiar to
living organisms; as, organic bodies, organic life, organic remains.
Cf. Inorganic.