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organism

Syllabification: (or·gan·ism)
Pronunciation: /ˈôrgəˌnizəm/
Translate organism | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of organism

noun

  • an individual animal, plant, or single-celled life form.
  • the material structure of an individual life form:the heart’s contribution to the maintenance of the human organism
  • a whole with interdependent parts, likened to a living being:the upper strata of the American social organism

Derivatives

organismal

Pronunciation: /ˌôrgəˈnizməl/
adjective

organismic

Pronunciation: /ˌôrgəˈnizmik/
adjective

Origin:

early 18th century (in the sense 'organization', from organize): current senses derive from French organisme

organism in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of organism in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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