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organ

n.
US //ˈɔɹɡən// UK //ˈɔːɡən// or·gan
  1. 1 body part (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Medicine

    a part of your body that has a specific job, like your heart, lungs, or brain.

    a distinct part of an organism that performs a specific vital function, such as the heart or liver.

    Example

    The heart is the organ responsible for pumping blood around your body.

    Example

    The surgeon explained that the patient required an urgent transplant because the vital organ was no longer functioning correctly.
    • body part
  2. 2 musical instrument (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Music

    a large musical instrument with a keyboard and many pipes that make sound using air.

    a large musical instrument consisting of pipes supplied with air from a bellows and played from a keyboard.

    Example

    The music from the church organ filled the entire building.

    Example

    The cathedral's pipe organ is famous for its intricate woodwork and the powerful, resonant bass notes it produces during recitals.
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  1. 3 official publication (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a magazine or newspaper that gives the official news and opinions of a group or party.

    a periodical or publication that serves as the official voice of a specific organization or political party.

    Example

    The journal serves as the official organ of the medical association.

    Example

    For decades, the newspaper functioned as the primary organ of the ruling party, disseminating official policy to the public.
  2. 4 government body (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Academic Law

    a department or part of a government that does a specific job.

    an administrative or judicial subdivision of a government or international organization.

    Example

    The United Nations has several different organs to handle world issues.

    Example

    The treaty established a new judicial organ to resolve trade disputes between the member states without resorting to sanctions.
  3. 5 penis (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang Formal Medicine

    a word sometimes used for the male sex organ.

    a reference to the penis, often used in medical or euphemistic contexts.

    Example

    The doctor used formal language to describe the male reproductive organ.

    Example

    In the Victorian era, writers often used the term 'organ' as a polite euphemism to avoid more direct anatomical language.
Origin

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.

Idioms1 entry

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