Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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

   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}.

   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. 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. [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 considired an organ.

            The deep, majestic, solemn organs blow. --Pope.

   Note: Chaucer used the form orgon as a plural.

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

   {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 Gorti} (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.

Great \Great\, a. [Compar. {Greater}; superl. {Greatest}.] [OE.
   gret, great, AS. gre['a]t; akin to OS. & LG. gr[=o]t, D.
   groot, OHG. gr[=o]z, G. gross. Cf. {Groat} the coin.]
   1. Large in space; of much size; big; immense; enormous;
      expanded; -- opposed to small and little; as, a great
      house, ship, farm, plain, distance, length.

   2. Large in number; numerous; as, a great company, multitude,
      series, etc.

   3. Long continued; lengthened in duration; prolonged in time;
      as, a great while; a great interval.

   4. Superior; admirable; commanding; -- applied to thoughts,
      actions, and feelings.

   5. Endowed with extraordinary powers; uncommonly gifted; able
      to accomplish vast results; strong; powerful; mighty;
      noble; as, a great hero, scholar, genius, philosopher,
      etc.

   6. Holding a chief position; elevated: lofty: eminent;
      distingushed; foremost; principal; as, great men; the
      great seal; the great marshal, etc.

            He doth object I am too great of birth. --Shak.

   7. Entitled to earnest consideration; weighty; important; as,
      a great argument, truth, or principle.

   8. Pregnant; big (with young).

            The ewes great with young.            --Ps. lxxviii.
                                                  71.

   9. More than ordinary in degree; very considerable in degree;
      as, to use great caution; to be in great pain.

            We have all Great cause to give great thanks.
                                                  --Shak.

   10. (Genealogy) Older, younger, or more remote, by single
       generation; -- often used before grand to indicate one
       degree more remote in the direct line of descent; as,
       great-grandfather (a grandfather's or a grandmother's
       father), great-grandson, etc.

   {Great bear} (Astron.), the constellation Ursa Major.

   {Great cattle} (Law), all manner of cattle except sheep and
      yearlings. --Wharton.

   {Great charter} (Eng. Hist.), Magna Charta.

   {Great circle of a sphere}, a circle the plane of which
      passes through the center of the sphere.

   {Great circle sailing}, the process or art of conducting a
      ship on a great circle of the globe or on the shortest arc
      between two places.

   {Great go}, the final examination for a degree at the
      University of Oxford, England; -- called also {greats}.
      --T. Hughes.

   {Great guns}. (Naut.) See under Gun.

   {The Great Lakes} the large fresh-water lakes (Lakes
      Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario) which lie on
      the northern borders of the United States.

   {Great master}. Same as {Grand master}, under {Grand}.

   {Great organ} (Mus.), the largest and loudest of the three
      parts of a grand organ (the others being the choir organ
      and the swell, and sometimes the pedal organ or foot
      keys), It is played upon by a separate keyboard, which has
      the middle position.

   {The great powers} (of Europe), in modern diplomacy, Great
      Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, and Italy.

   {Great primer}. See under {Type}.

   {Great scale} (Mus.), the complete scale; -- employed to
      designate the entire series of musical sounds from lowest
      to highest.

   {Great sea}, the Mediterranean sea. In Chaucer both the Black
      and the Mediterranean seas are so called.

   {Great seal}.
       (a) The principal seal of a kingdom or state.
       (b) In Great Britain, the lord chancellor (who is
           custodian of this seal); also, his office.