What does "organ" mean?
The larger part of an organism, composed of tissues that perform similar functions.
Organ
/ˈɔːɡən/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The larger part of an organism, composed of tissues that perform similar functions.
- Grammar: organ is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: electric organ, pipe organ, affiliate, agency.
- Useful contrasts: pianos, tissue.
- Usage evidence: There is usually an organ in a church.
How to use "organ"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "organ" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "organ" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "organ" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "organ" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "organ" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "electric organ" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "organ", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The larger part of an organism, composed of tissues that perform similar functions.
"bodily organs"
- 2 (music) an electronic simulation of a pipe organ wordnet
- 3 A body of an organization dedicated to the performing of certain functions. broadly
- 4 a free-reeded instrument with a piano keyboard in which air is forced through the reeds by bellows wordnet
- 5 A device, apparatus. obsolete
"This Organ is called a Thermometer, or Thermoscope, because the degrees of Heat and Cold are measured and marked by it."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 wind instrument whose sound is produced by means of pipes arranged in sets supplied with air from a bellows and controlled from a large complex musical keyboard wordnet
- 7 A musical instrument that has multiple pipes which play when a key is pressed (the pipe organ), or an electronic instrument designed to replicate such.
"He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts."
- 8 a fully differentiated structural and functional unit in an animal that is specialized for some particular function wordnet
- 9 An official magazine, newsletter, or similar publication of an organization.
- 10 a periodical that is published by a special interest group wordnet
- 11 Ellipsis of organ pipe cactus. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
- 12 a government agency or instrument devoted to the performance of some specific function wordnet
- 13 A government organization; agency; authority.
- 14 The penis. slang
"If the Snake has an unmistakeable resemblance to the male organ in its active state, the foliage of the tree or bush is equally remindful of the female."
- 15 An Asian form of mitrailleuse. historical
"Lieutenant Roberts was also severely wounded by a missile, or weapon called an Organ, which is composed of about thirty-six gun barrels so joined as to fire at once."
Verb
- 1 To supply with an organ or organs; to fit with organs. obsolete, transitive
"[W]hen he ſays, he has compaſſion on’em, they ſhould ask, where then are his Bowels! […] Alaſs! fond Creature, thou art Elemented and Organ’d for other Apprehenſions […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A census-designated place in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"There is usually an organ in a church."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "organ"?
Common synonyms include: electric organ, pipe organ, affiliate, agency, agent, anatomical part.
How do you use "organ" in a sentence?
There is usually an organ in a church.
How do you pronounce "organ"?
Pronounced /ˈɔːɡən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English organe, from Old French organe, from Latin organum, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “an instrument, implement, tool, also an organ of sense or apprehension, an organ of the body, also a musical instrument, an organ”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ-. Doublet of organon, organum, and orgue.
Etymology 2
From organ, a metonymic occupational surname for a player of a musical instrument.