ˈɔ:ɡən n. 1 a a usu.
large musical instrument having pipes supplied
with air from bellows, sounded by keys,
and distributed
into sets or stops
which form partial organs,
each with a
separate keyboard (choir organ; pedal organ). b a smaller instrument
without pipes, producing
similar sounds electronically. c a smaller keyboard wind instrument with
metal reeds; a
harmonium. d = barrel-organ. 2 a a usu.
self-contained part of an
organism having a
special vital function (vocal organs;
digestive organs). b
esp. joc.
the penis. 3 a
medium of
communication, esp. a
newspaper,
sectarian periodical, etc. 4
archaic a professionally trained singing
voice. 5 Phrenol. archaic a
region of the
brain held to be the
seat of a
particular faculty. øorgan-blower a
person or
mechanism working the bellows of an organ. organ-grinder the
player of a barrel-organ. organ-loft a
gallery in a
church or concert-room
for an organ. organ of
Corti see CORTI. organ-pipe
any of the pipes on an organ. organ-screen an
ornamental screen usu.
between the
choir and the nave of a church,
cathedral,
etc., on which the organ is placed. organ-stop 1 a set of pipes of a similar
tone in an organ. 2 the
handle of the mechanism
that brings it into
action. [ME f. OE organa & OF organe, f. L organum f. Gk
organon tool]
