Organ of Corti

Organ of Corti
Organ Or"gan, n. [L. organum, Gr. ?; akin to ? work, and E. work: cf. F. organe. See {Work}, and cf. {Orgue}, {Orgy}.] [1913 Webster] 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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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}. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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. A newsletter distributed within an organization is often called its {house organ}. [1913 Webster +PJC]

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 considered an organ. [1913 Webster]

The deep, majestic, solemn organs blow. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

Note: Chaucer used the form orgon as a plural. [1913 Webster]

The merry orgon . . . that in the church goon [go]. [1913 Webster]

{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 Corti} (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. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Organ of Corti — A cross section of the cochlea illustrating the organ of Corti …   Wikipedia

  • organ of Corti — organ of Cor·ti kȯrt ē n a complex epithelial structure in the cochlea that in mammals is the chief part of the ear by which sound is directly perceived and that rests on the internal surface of the basilar membrane and contains two spiral rows… …   Medical dictionary

  • organ of Corti — [kôrt′ē] n. the spiral structure inside the cochlea of the inner ear, containing the hair cells that are sensitive to sound waves …   English World dictionary

  • organ of Corti — spiral organ the sense organ of the cochlea of the inner ear, which converts sound signals into nerve impulses that are transmitted to the brain via the cochlear nerve. [A. Corti (1822–88), Italian anatomist] …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • organ of Corti — the sense organ of the cochlea of the inner ear, which converts sound signals into nerve impulses that are transmitted to the brain via the cochlear nerve. A. Corti (1822 88), Italian anatomist …   Medical dictionary

  • organ of Corti — noun the hearing organ of the inner ear; contains receptors that respond to sound waves • Hypernyms: ↑organ of hearing • Part Holonyms: ↑cochlea • Part Meronyms: ↑hair cell …   Useful english dictionary

  • organ of Corti — Etymology: Alfonso Corti died 1876 Italian anatomist Date: 1867 a complex epithelial structure in the cochlea that rests on the internal surface of the basilar membrane and in mammals is the chief part of the ear by which sound is directly… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • organ of Corti — /kawr tee/ Anat., Zool. a structure in the cochlea of a mammal, consisting of hair cells that serve as receptors for auditory stimuli. [1880 85; named after A CORTI] * * * …   Universalium

  • organ of Corti — n. section of the cochlea that includes the special sensory receptors for hearing (name after Alfonso Corti) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • organ of Corti — noun Anatomy a structure in the cochlea of the inner ear which produces nerve impulses in response to sound vibrations. Origin C19: named after the Italian anatomist Alfonso Corti …   English new terms dictionary

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