noun
organism
AW-guh-nih-zuhm
noun
1
A complete, living individual thing, such as an animal, plant, fungus, or microbe.
"A single-celled organism can still carry out all the basic functions of life."
"Scientists discovered a new organism living near deep-sea vents."
2
A complex system made up of interdependent parts, compared to a living thing.
"The company operates like a single organism, with every department relying on the others."
How to Use Organism
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA living thing, from a bacterium to a human — or, more loosely, any complex system whose parts depend on each other.
Common pairings
living organism
single-celled organism
complex organism
Word Forms
organisms plural
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A single-celled _____ can still carry out all the basic functions of life.
Etymology
From "organ" plus "-ism," ultimately from Greek órganon, "instrument."