The Collaborative International Dictionary
Organic \Or*gan"ic\, a. [L. organicus, Gr. ?: cf. F. organique.]
(Biol.) Of or pertaining to an organ or its functions, or to objects composed of organs; consisting of organs, or containing them; as, the organic structure of animals and plants; exhibiting characters peculiar to living organisms; as, organic bodies, organic life, organic remains. Cf. Inorganic.
Produced by the organs; as, organic pleasure. [R.]
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Instrumental; acting as instruments of nature or of art to a certain destined function or end. [R.]
Those organic arts which enable men to discourse and write perspicuously.
--Milton. Forming a whole composed of organs. Hence: Of or pertaining to a system of organs; inherent in, or resulting from, a certain organization; as, an organic government; his love of truth was not inculcated, but organic.
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(Chem.) Of or pertaining to compounds which are derivatives of hydrocarbons; pertaining to, or denoting, any one of a large series of carbon-containing compounds which are related to the carbon compounds produced by biological processes (such as methane, oils, fats, sugars, alcohols, ethers, proteins, etc.) and include many substances of artificial production which may or may not occur in animals or plants; -- contrasted with inorganic.
Note: Borderline cases exist which may be classified as either organic or inorganic, such as carbon terachloride (which may be viewed as a derivative of methane), but in general a compound must have a carbon with a hydrogen atom or another carbon atom attached to it to be viewed as truly organic, i.e. included in the subject matter of organic chemistry.
Note: The principles of organic and inorganic chemistry are identical; but the enormous number and the completeness of related series of organic compounds, together with their remarkable facility of exchange and substitution, offer an illustration of chemical reaction and homology not to be paralleled in inorganic chemistry.
Organic analysis (Chem.), the analysis of organic compounds, concerned chiefly with the determination of carbon as carbon dioxide, hydrogen as water, oxygen as the difference between the sum of the others and 100 per cent, and nitrogen as free nitrogen, ammonia, or nitric oxide; -- formerly called ultimate analysis, in distinction from proximate analysis.
Organic chemistry. See under Chemistry.
Organic compounds. (Chem.) Chemical substances which are organic[5]. See Carbon compounds, under Carbon.
Organic description of a curve (Geom.), the description of a curve on a plane by means of instruments.
--Brande & C.Organic disease (Med.), a disease attended with morbid changes in the structure of the organs of the body or in the composition of its fluids; -- opposed to functional disease.
Organic electricity. See under Electricity.
Organic law or Organic laws, a law or system of laws, or declaration of principles fundamental to the existence and organization of a political or other association; a constitution.
Organic stricture (Med.), a contraction of one of the natural passages of the body produced by structural changes in its walls, as distinguished from a spasmodic stricture, which is due to muscular contraction.
Usage examples of "organic disease".
Rigel had stated was absolutely true the autopsies showed no sign of any organic disease in either Agnatha or Neko, nor any toxins or other foreign substances.
The term is often incorrectly employed in reference to states of embarrassed respiration, which are plainly due to permanent organic disease within the chest, and which have none of the distinctive characteristics of true asthma.
Detailed follow-ups by Nolen, Randi and many others of those who have been told they were cured and agreed that they were - in, say, televised services by American faith-healers - were unable to find even one person with serious organic disease who was in fact cured.
A high altitude is too stimulating for this class of patients and tends to increase nervousness and aggravates organic disease.
It has a decided action on the heart and frequently gives prompt relief in functional or organic disease.
Rosetti waited but when she didn't say more continued that the Turkish girl, like all the rest, had been well nourished, with no sign of any organic disease.
I know well that this is an organic disease, and in an advanced state, but all those things are such mysteries: we may be able to save her.
Our mental health will have been proven as the root of organic disease.
Physicians might heal themselves if they suffered from organic disease, psychiatrists had a harder time trying.
Rosamund Ainstable, though more than ten years his junior, was a woman who, without having any organic disease, had never enjoyed good health.
Has any member of your family benefited from any of the so-called miracle treatments for organic disease?
I am well aware that this is an organic disease, and far advanced, but this is all such a mystery!
Having carefully examined Lady Violet, and made certain that she was suffering from no organic disease, it only remained for me to conclude that she was a victim to one of those many ill-defined and misunderstood nervous disorders, which, by their variety and complexity, present the greatest difficulty in medical practice.
This explanation was borne out by the post-mortem examination, which showed long-standing organic disease, and the coroner's jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.