organism
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word organism. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word organism, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say organism in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word organism you have here. The definition of the word organism will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition oforganism, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From organ + -ism, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “tool, instrument”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“work”). Compare Medieval Latin organismus.
Pronunciation
Noun
organism (plural organisms)
- (obsolete, rare) The fact of being organic; organicity.
- Something with many separate interdependent parts, seen as being like a living thing; an organic system.
- 1984, Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac, Penguin, published 2016, page 52:
- For the first time, Edith was aware of the hotel as a well populated organism, its attendants merely resting until an appropriate occasion should summon them to present themselves […] .
- (biology) A discrete and complete living thing, such as animal, plant, fungus or microorganism.
- 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
- Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.
Hyponyms
- See also Thesaurus:organism
Derived terms
Translations
living thing
|
any complex thing with properties normally associated with living things
|
Anagrams
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French organisme.
Noun
organism n (plural organisme)
Declension
Declension of organism
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
| nominative/accusative | (un) organism | organismul | (niște) organisme | organismele |
| genitive/dative | (unui) organism | organismului | (unor) organisme | organismelor |
| vocative | organismule | organismelor | ||
Swedish
Noun
organism c
- (biology) an organism
- (figuratively) an organism (something with many separate interdependent parts)
Declension
| Declension of organism | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | organism | organismen | organismer | organismerna |
| Genitive | organisms | organismens | organismers | organismernas |