Emily Dickinson Lexicon

OR'GAN, n. [L. organum; Gr. οργανον; Sp. and It. organo; Fr. organe; D. and G. orgel; Pers. and Ar. arganon.]

1. A natural instrument of action or operation, or by which some process is carried on. Thus the arteries and veins of animal bodies are organs of circulation; the lungs are organs of respiration; the nerves are organs of perception and sensation; the muscles are organs of motion; the ears are organs of hearing; the tongue as the organ of speech.
2. The instrument or means of conveyance or communication. A secretary of state is the organ of communication between the government and a foreign power.
3. The largest and most harmonious of wind instruments of music, consisting of pipes which are filled with wind, and stops touched by the fingers. It is blown by a bellows. Johnson. Encyc.

OR'GAN-BUILD-ER, n.

An artist whose occupation is to construct organs.

OR-GAN'IC, or OR-GAN'IC-AL, a. [L. organicus.]

1. Pertaining to an organ or to organs; consisting of organs or containing them; as, the organic structure of the human body or of plants.
2. Produced by the organs; as, organic pleasure. Kames.
3. Instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or art to a certain end; as, organic arts. Milton. Organic bodies, are such as possess organs, on the action of which depend their growth and perfection; as animals and plants.

OR-GAN'IC-AL-LY, adv.

1. With organs; with organical structure or disposition of parts. The bodies of animals and plants are organically framed.
2. By means of organs.

OR-GAN'IC-AL-NESS, n.

The state of being organical. Johnson.

OR'GAN-ISM, n.

Organical structure; as, the organism of bodies. Grew.

OR'GAN-IST, n.

1. One who plays on the organ. Boyle.
2. One who sung in parts; an old musical use of the word.

OR-GAN-I-ZA'TION, n.

1. The act or process of forming organs or instruments of action.
2. The act of forming or arranging the parts of a compound or complex body in a suitable manner for use or service; the act of distributing into suitable divisions and appointing the proper officers, as an army or a government. The first organization of the general government. Pickering.
3. Structure; form; suitable disposition of parts which are to act together in a compound body. Locke.

OR'GAN-IZE, v.t. [Fr. organiser; It. organizzare; Sp. organizar.]

1. To form with suitable organs; to construct so that one part may co-operate with another. Those nobler faculties of the soul organized matter could never produce. Ray.
2. To sing in parts; as, to organize the hallelujah. Busby.
3. To distribute into suitable parts and appoint proper officers, that the whole may act as one body; as, to organize an army. So we say, to organize the house of representatives, which is done by the appointment of officers and verification of the powers of the several members. So we say, a club, a party, or a faction is organized, when it takes a systemized form. This original and supreme will organizes the government. W. Cranch.

OR'GAN-IZ-ED, pp.

Formed with organs; constructed organically: systemized; reduced to a form in which all the parts may act together to one end. Animals and plants are organized bodies. Minerals are not organized bodies.

OR'GAN-IZ-ING, ppr.

Constructing with suitable organs; reducing to system in order to produce united action to one end.

OR'GAN-LOFT, n.

The loft where an organ stands. Tatler.

OR-GAN-O-GRAPH'IC, or OR-GAN-O-GRAPH'IC-AL, a.

Pertaining to organography.

OR-GAN-OG'RA-PHIST, n.

One who describes the organs of animal or vegetable bodies. Lindley.

OR-GAN-OG'RA-PHY, n. [Gr. οργανον and γραφω.]

. In Botany, a description of the organs of plants, or of the names and kinds of their organs. DeCand.

OR-GAN-OL'O-GY, n.

The science of the construction of organs.

OR'GAN-PIPE, n.

The pipe of a musical organ. Shak.

OR'GAN-REST, n. [In heraldry, a figure of uncertain origin, borne by the Granvilles and other ancient families. – E. H. B.]

OR'GAN-STOP, n.

The stop of an organ, or any collection of pipes under one general name. Busby.

OR'GA-NY, n. [See ORIGAN.]

OR-GAN'ZINE, n.

Silk twisted into threads; thrown silk. Aikin.

OR'GASM, n. [Gr. οργασμος, from οργαω, to swell; οργαζω, to irritate.]

Immoderate excitement or action; as, the orgasm of the blood or spirits. Blackmore. Derham.

OR'GE-AT, n. [Fr. from orge, barley.]

A liquor extracted from barley and sweet almonds. Mason.

OR'GE-IS, n.

A fish, called also organ-ling; supposed to be from Orkneys, on the coast of which it is taken. Johnson.

OR'GIES, n. [plur; Gr. οργια, from οργαω, to swell; οργη, fury; L. orgia, Fr. orgies.]

Frantic revels at the feast in honor of Bacchus, or the feast itself. This feast was held in the night; hence nocturnal orgies. Dryden. Encyc.