Organ of Corti

Organ Or"gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

Note: 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}. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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. A newsletter distributed within an organization is often called its {house organ}. [1913 Webster +PJC]

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. [1913 Webster]

The deep, majestic, solemn organs blow. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

Note: Chaucer used the form orgon as a plural. [1913 Webster]

The merry orgon . . . that in the church goon [go]. [1913 Webster]

{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} (Zo["o]l.), a Tasmanian crow shrike ({Gymnorhina organicum}). It utters discordant notes like those of a hand organ out of tune.

{Organ fish} (Zo["o]l.), 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}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Tubipora}.

{Organ point} (Mus.), a passage in which the tonic or dominant is sustained continuously by one part, while the other parts move. [1913 Webster]