organism

Etymology

From organ + -ism, from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “tool, instrument”), from Proto-Indo-European *werǵ- (“work”). Compare Medieval Latin organismus.

noun

1. (obsolete, rare) The fact of being organic; organicity.
2. Something with many separate interdependent parts, seen as being like a living thing; an organic system.
   For the first time, Edith was aware of the hotel as a well populated organism, its attendants merely resting until an appropriate occasion should summon them to present themselves […]. 1984, Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac, Penguin, published 2016, page 52
3. (biology) A discrete and complete living thing, such as animal, plant, fungus or microorganism.
   Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field. 2013-07-20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845