organism

B1 Topic:Biology & Genetics

US /ɔʳˈɡan.ɪzəm/ UK /ˈɔː.ɡəˌnɪz.əm/ See IPA manual

Freq #12454

Meanings

1

noun
A single living thing, such as an animal, plant, or microbe.

Bacteria are tiny organisms that can only be seen under a microscope.
2

noun
A complex system whose many parts work together like a living thing.

He described the city as a vast, breathing organism.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a single living thing, such... being

More biont

Word family

Forms organisms

Derived forms bioorganismbiorgcyborgepiorganismmacro-organismmacroorganismmetaorganismmicro-organismmodel-organismmultiorganismnonorganismorganismal

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

living organism
an individual life form carrying out biological processes

Adjective + noun

Etymology

First attested in 1701; from organ + -ism, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “a tool, instrument”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“work”). Compare New Latin organismus.

ὄργανον Ancient Greek *werǵ- Proto-Indo-European organismus la-new

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Biology & Genetics Science & Research

External links

# organism

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɔʳˈɡan.ɪzəm/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɔː.ɡəˌnɪz.əm/
**Frequency rank:** 12454

## Meanings
1. A single living thing, such as an animal, plant, or microbe.
2. A complex system whose many parts work together like a living thing.

## Examples
- Bacteria are tiny organisms that can only be seen under a microscope.
- He described the city as a vast, breathing organism.

## Synonyms
- being
- biont

## Derived Forms
- bioorganism
- biorg
- cyborg
- epiorganism
- macro-organism
- macroorganism
- metaorganism
- micro-organism
- model-organism
- multiorganism
- nonorganism
- organismal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ὄργανον
- Root: *werǵ-
- Root: organismus

## Etymology
First attested in 1701; from organ + -ism, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “a tool, instrument”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“work”). Compare New Latin organismus.

## AI Etymology
Organism first attested in 1701; from organ + -ism, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “a tool, instrument”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“work”). Compare New Latin organismus. Modern senses include a single living thing, such as an animal, plant, or microbe and a complex system whose many parts work together like a living thing. The wider word family includes derivatives such as bioorganism, biorg, cyborg, epiorganism, macro-organism, and macroorganism.

## Topics
- Biology & Genetics
- Science & Research

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