ORGAN

Ps 150:4, a wind instrument apparently composed of several pipes. It cannot, however, mean the modern organ, which was unknown to the ancients; but refers probably to the ancient syrinx, or pipes, similar to the Pandean pipes, a series of seven or more tubes of unequal length and size, closed at one end, and blown into with the mouth at the other, Ge 4:21 Job 21:12. See MUSIC.

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Organ. Organ
Some kind of wind instrument, probably a kind of Pan’s pipes (Gen. 4:21; Job 21:12; Ps. 150:4), which consisted of seven or eight reeds of unequal length.

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ORGAN. → See MUSIC, INSTRUMENTS OF

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organ. Organ, n. a natural or musical instrument

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Or″gan (?), n. [[L. organum, Gr. �; akin to � work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See Work, and cf. Orgue, Orgy.]] 1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 considered 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 . 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 Corti (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.