ORGANISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does organism mean? 

• ORGANISM (noun)
  The noun ORGANISM has 2 senses:

1. a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently

2. a system considered analogous in structure or function to a living body

  Familiarity information: ORGANISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ORGANISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently

Classified under:

Nouns with no superordinates

Synonyms:

being; organism

Hypernyms ("organism" is a kind of...):

animate thing; living thing (a living (or once living) entity)

Meronyms (parts of "organism"):

body part (any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity)

cell ((biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals)

Meronyms (substance of "organism"):

tissue (part of an organism consisting of an aggregate of cells having a similar structure and function)

Domain member category:

bioluminescent ((of living organisms) emitting light)

cellular (characterized by or divided into or containing cells or compartments (the smallest organizational or structural unit of an organism or organization))

actinal ((of radiate organisms) located on the surface or end on which the mouth is situated)

stratum (one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism or a layer of sedimentary rock))

morphogenesis (differentiation and growth of the structure of an organism (or a part of an organism))

metabolic process; metabolism (the organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for life)

fertilized ovum; zygote ((genetics) the diploid cell resulting from the union of a haploid spermatozoon and ovum (including the organism that develops from that cell))

parthenote (a cell resulting from parthenogenesis)

organic chemistry (the chemistry of compounds containing carbon (originally defined as the chemistry of substances produced by living organisms but now extended to substances synthesized artificially))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "organism"):

mascot (a character, animal or object that is adopted by a team or group as a symbolic figure)

nekton (the aggregate of actively swimming animals in a body of water ranging from microscopic organisms to whales)

parasite (an animal or plant that lives in or on a host (another animal or plant); it obtains nourishment from the host without benefiting or killing the host)

host (an animal or plant that nourishes and supports a parasite; it does not benefit and is often harmed by the association)

commensal (either of two different animal or plant species living in close association but not interdependent)

myrmecophile (an organism such as an insect that habitually shares the nest of a species of ant)

eucaryote; eukaryote (an organism with cells characteristic of all life forms except primitive microorganisms such as bacteria; i.e. an organism with 'good' or membrane-bound nuclei in its cells)

procaryote; prokaryote (a unicellular organism having cells lacking membrane-bound nuclei; bacteria are the prime example but also included are blue-green algae and actinomycetes and mycoplasma)

zooid (one of the distinct individuals forming a colonial animal such as a bryozoan or hydrozoan)

clon; clone (a group of genetically identical cells or organisms derived from a single cell or individual by some kind of asexual reproduction)

atavist; throwback (an organism that has the characteristics of a more primitive type of that organism)

individual (a single organism)

plankton (the aggregate of small plant and animal organisms that float or drift in great numbers in fresh or salt water)

mutant; mutation; sport; variation ((biology) an organism that has characteristics resulting from chromosomal alteration)

postdiluvian (anything living after Noah's flood)

sitter (an organism (person or animal) that sits)

stander (an organism (person or animal) that stands)

utterer; vocaliser; vocalizer (an organism that can utter vocal sounds)

fungus (an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia)

nonvascular organism (organisms without vascular tissue: e.g. algae, lichens, fungi, mosses)

relict (an organism or species surviving as a remnant of an otherwise extinct flora or fauna in an environment much changed from that in which it originated)

saprophyte; saprophytic organism (an organism that feeds on dead organic matter especially a fungus or bacterium)

saprobe (an organism that lives in and derives its nourishment from organic matter in stagnant or foul water)

katharobe (an organism that lives in an oxygenated medium lacking organic matter)

amphidiploid ((genetics) an organism or cell having a diploid set of chromosomes from each parent)

dwarf (a plant or animal that is atypically small)

heterotroph (an organism that depends on complex organic substances for nutrition)

parent (an organism (plant or animal) from which younger ones are obtained)

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

animal; animate being; beast; brute; creature; fauna (a living organism characterized by voluntary movement)

flora; plant; plant life ((botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion)

native (indigenous plants and animals)

recombinant (a cell or organism in which genetic recombination has occurred)

conspecific (an organism belonging to the same species as another organism)

carrier ((genetics) an organism that possesses a recessive gene whose effect is masked by a dominant allele; the associated trait is not apparent but can be passed on to offspring)

denizen (a plant or animal naturalized in a region)

benthos (organisms (plants and animals) that live at or near the bottom of a sea)

diploid ((genetics) an organism or cell having the normal amount of DNA per cell; i.e., two sets of chromosomes or twice the haploid number)

haploid ((genetics) an organism or cell having only one complete set of chromosomes)

heteroploid ((genetics) an organism or cell having a chromosome number that is not an even multiple of the haploid chromosome number for that species)

polyploid ((genetics) an organism or cell having more than twice the haploid number of chromosomes)

animalcule; animalculum (microscopic organism such as an amoeba or paramecium)

micro-organism; microorganism (any organism of microscopic size)

aerobe (an organism (especially a bacterium) that requires air or free oxygen for life)

anaerobe (an organism (especially a bacterium) that does not require air or free oxygen to live)

cross; crossbreed; hybrid ((genetics) an organism that is the offspring of genetically dissimilar parents or stock; especially offspring produced by breeding plants or animals of different varieties or breeds or species)

polymorph (an organism that can assume more than one adult form as in the castes of ants or termites)

congenator; congener; congeneric; relative (an animal or plant that bears a relationship to another (as related by common descent or by membership in the same genus))

Derivation:

organic (involving or affecting physiology or bodily organs)

organic (being or relating to or derived from or having properties characteristic of living organisms)

organismic (of or relating to or belonging to an organism (considered as a whole))

Sense 2

Meaning:

A system considered analogous in structure or function to a living body

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

the social organism

Hypernyms ("organism" is a kind of...):

scheme; system (a group of independent but interrelated elements comprising a unified whole)

Derivation:

organismal (of or relating to or belonging to an organism (considered as a whole))

 Context examples 

A. ureae is found rarely as a commensal organism of the human respiratory tract and may cause respiratory tract infections in humans.

(Actinobacillus ureae, NCI Thesaurus)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Actinobacillus ureae.

(Actinobacillus ureae, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

As part of their immune defenses, many organisms, including humans, produce peptides that can kill bacteria.

(Venom of Wasp, Bee Repurposed as Antibiotic Drug, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Methylobacterium mesophilicum.

(Methylobacterium mesophilicum, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

However, they acknowledge that — like living organisms — no two biohybrid machines will be the same.

(Researchers build microscopic biohybrid robots propelled by muscles, nerves, National Science Foundation)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Actinobacillus suis.

(Actinobacillus suis, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Achromobacter xylosoxidans.

(Achromobacter xylosoxidans, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Achromobacter piechaudii.

(Achromobacter piechaudii, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Achromobacter denitrificans.

(Achromobacter denitrificans, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Any bacterial organism that can be assigned to the species Abiotrophia defectiva.

(Abiotrophia defectiva, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)