Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Organic \Or*gan"ic\, a. [L. organicus, Gr. ?: cf. F. organique.]
   1. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to an organ or its functions, or
      to objects composed of organs; consisting of organs, or
      containing them; as, the organic structure of animals and
      plants; exhibiting characters peculiar to living
      organisms; as, organic bodies, organic life, organic
      remains. Cf. {Inorganic}.

   2. Produced by the organs; as, organic pleasure. [R.]

   3. Instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or of art to
      a certain destined function or end. [R.]

            Those organic arts which enable men to discourse and
            write perspicuously.                  --Milton.

   4. Forming a whole composed of organs. Hence: Of or
      pertaining to a system of organs; inherent in, or
      resulting from, a certain organization; as, an organic
      government; his love of truth was not inculcated, but
      organic.

   5. Pertaining to, or denoting, any one of the large series of
      substances which, in nature or origin, are connected with
      vital processes, and include many substances of artificial
      production which may or may not occur in animals or
      plants; -- contrasted with {inorganic}.

   Note: The principles of organic and inorganic chemistry are
         identical; but the enormous number and the completeness
         of related series of organic compounds, together with
         their remarkable facility of exchange and substitution,
         offer an illustration of chemical reaction and homology
         not to be paralleled in inorganic chemistry.

   {Organic analysis} (Chem.), the analysis of organic
      compounds, concerned chiefly with the determination of
      carbon as carbon dioxide, hydrogen as water, oxygen as the
      difference between the sum of the others and 100 per cent,
      and nitrogen as free nitrogen, ammonia, or nitric oxide;
      -- formerly called ultimate analysis, in distinction from
      proximate analysis.

   {Organic chemistry}. See under {Chemistry}.

   {Organic compounds}. (Chem.) See {Carbon compounds}, under
      {Carbon}.

   {Organic description of a curve} (Geom.), the description of
      a curve on a plane by means of instruments. --Brande & C.

   {Organic disease} (Med.), a disease attended with morbid
      changes in the structure of the organs of the body or in
      the composition of its fluids; -- opposed to {functional
      disease}.

   {Organic electricity}. See under {Electricity}.

   {Organic} {law or laws}, a law or system of laws, or
      declaration of principles fundamental to the existence and
      organization of a political or other association; a
      constitution.

   {Organic stricture} (Med.), a contraction of one of the
      natural passages of the body produced by structural
      changes in its walls, as distinguished from a spasmodic
      stricture, which is due to muscular contraction.

Electricity \E`lec*tric"i*ty\, n.; pl. {Electricities}. [Cf. F.
   ['e]lectricit['e]. See {Electric}.]
   1. A power in nature, a manifestation of energy, exhibiting
      itself when in disturbed equilibrium or in activity by a
      circuit movement, the fact of direction in which involves
      polarity, or opposition of properties in opposite
      directions; also, by attraction for many substances, by a
      law involving attraction between surfaces of unlike
      polarity, and repulsion between those of like; by
      exhibiting accumulated polar tension when the circuit is
      broken; and by producing heat, light, concussion, and
      often chemical changes when the circuit passes between the
      poles or through any imperfectly conducting substance or
      space. It is generally brought into action by any
      disturbance of molecular equilibrium, whether from a
      chemical, physical, or mechanical, cause.

   Note: Electricity is manifested under following different
         forms: (a)

   {Statical electricity}, called also

   {Frictional or Common}, {electricity}, electricity in the
      condition of a stationary charge, in which the disturbance
      is produced by friction, as of glass, amber, etc., or by
      induction. (b)

   {Dynamical electricity}, called also

   {Voltaic electricity}, electricity in motion, or as a current
      produced by chemical decomposition, as by means of a
      voltaic battery, or by mechanical action, as by
      dynamo-electric machines. (c)

   {Thermoelectricity}, in which the disturbing cause is heat
      (attended possibly with some chemical action). It is
      developed by uniting two pieces of unlike metals in a bar,
      and then heating the bar unequally. (d)

   {Atmospheric electricity}, any condition of electrical
      disturbance in the atmosphere or clouds, due to some or
      all of the above mentioned causes. (e)

   {Magnetic electricity}, electricity developed by the action
      of magnets. (f)

   {Positive electricity}, the electricity that appears at the
      positive pole or anode of a battery, or that is produced
      by friction of glass; -- called also {vitreous
      electricity}. (g)

   {Negative electricity}, the electricity that appears at the
      negative pole or cathode, or is produced by the friction
      of resinous substance; -- called also resinous
      electricity. (h)

   {Organic electricity}, that which is developed in organic
      structures, either animal or vegetable, the phrase animal
      electricity being much more common.

   2. The science which unfolds the phenomena and laws of
      electricity; electrical science.

   3. Fig.: Electrifying energy or characteristic.