Definition of Barrel organ. Meaning of Barrel organ. Synonyms of Barrel organ
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Definition of Barrel organ
Barrel organ 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.
Barrel organ 4. A metallic tube, as of a gun, from which a projectile is
discharged. --Knight.
5. A jar. [Obs.] --1 Kings xvii. 12.
6. (Zo["o]l.) The hollow basal part of a feather.
Barrel bulk (Com.), a measure equal to five cubic feet,
used in estimating capacity, as of a vessel for freight.
Barrel drain (Arch.), a drain in the form of a cylindrical
tube.
Barrel of a boiler, the cylindrical part of a boiler,
containing the flues.
Barrel of the ear (Anat.), the tympanum, or tympanic
cavity.
Barrel organ, an instrument for producing music by the
action of a revolving cylinder.
Barrel vault. See under Vault.
