Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
A discrete and complete living thing, such as animal, plant, fungus or microorganism.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Something with many separate interdependent parts, seen as being like a living thing; an organic system.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The fact of being organic; organicity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: being
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: living thing, animate thing
Narrower terms: benthos, dwarf, heterotroph, parent, person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul, animal, animate being, beast, brute, creature, fauna, plant, flora, plant life, native, recombinant, conspecific, carrier, denizen, amphidiploid, diploid, haploid, heteroploid, polyploid, animalcule, animalculum, microorganism, micro-organism, aerobe, anaerobe, hybrid, crossbreed, cross, polymorph, relative, congener, congenator, congeneric, plankton, nekton, parasite, host, commensal, myrmecophile, eukaryote, eucaryote, prokaryote, procaryote, zooid, clone, clon, atavist, throwback, mascot, mutant, mutation, variation, sport, postdiluvian, sitter, stander, utterer, vocalizer, vocaliser, fungus, nonvascular organism, relict, saprophyte, saprophytic organism, saprobe, katharobe
noun
a system considered analogous in structure or function to a living body
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: system, scheme
History
First attested in 1701; from organ + -ism, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “a tool, instrument”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“work”). Compare New Latin organismus.
Across languages
130 source translations are retained for this English entry.
