gymnorhina organicum

2 definitions found

gymnorhina organicum - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Organ \Or"gan\ ([^o]r"gan), n. [L. organum, Gr. 'o`rganon; akin
     to 'e`rgon 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.
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     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.
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     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.
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     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.
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     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.
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              The deep, majestic, solemn organs blow. --Pope.
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     Note: Chaucer used the form orgon as a plural.
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                 The merry orgon . . . that in the church goon
                 [go].
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     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 (Zool.), a Tasmanian crow shrike (Gymnorhina  organicum
        ). It utters discordant notes like those of a
        hand organ out of tune.
  
     Organ fish (Zool.), 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. (Zool.) See Tubipora.
  
     Organ point (Mus.), a passage in which the tonic or
        dominant is sustained continuously by one part, while the
        other parts move.
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  Magpie \Mag"pie\, n. [OE. & Prov. E. magot pie, maggoty pie, fr.
     Mag, Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and fr. F. Marquerite, and
     common name of the magpie. Marguerite is fr. L. margarita
     pearl, Gr. ?, prob. of Eastern origin. See Pie magpie, and
     cf. the analogous names Tomtit, and Jackdaw.] (Zool.)
     Any one of numerous species of the genus Pica and related
     genera, allied to the jays, but having a long graduated tail.
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     2. Any one of several black-and-white birds, such as
        Gymnorhina tibicen, not belonging to the genus Pica.
        [PJC]
  
     Note: The common European magpie (Pica pica, or Pica caudata
           ) is a black and white noisy and mischievous
           bird. It can be taught to speak. The American magpie
           (Pica Hudsonica) is very similar. The yellow-belled
           magpie (Pica Nuttalli) inhabits California. The blue
           magpie (Cyanopolius Cooki) inhabits Spain. Other
           allied species are found in Asia. The Tasmanian and
           Australian magpies are crow shrikes, as the white
           magpie (Gymnorhina organicum), the black magpie
           (Strepera fuliginosa), and the Australian magpie
           (Cracticus picatus).
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     3. A talkative person; a chatterbox.
        [PJC]
  
     Magpie lark (Zool.), a common Australian bird (Grallina  picata
        ), conspicuously marked with black and white; --
        called also little magpie.
  
     Magpie moth (Zool.), a black and white European geometrid
        moth (Abraxas grossulariata); the harlequin moth. Its
        larva feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes.
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