organum

Borrowed from Latin organum, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “organ, instrument, tool”). Doublet of organ, organon, and orgue.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɔː.ɡə.nəm/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɔɹ.ɡə.nəm/

organum (countable and uncountable, plural organums or organa)

1. (music) A type of medieval polyphony which builds upon an existing plainsong.
2. (archaic) A method by which philosophical or scientific investigation may be conducted.
   • 1794, George Adams, Lectures on natural and experimental philosophy:

     He [Francis Bacon] has given us an organum of a different origin and construction from that of Aristotle […]

   • 1823, Thomas Wirgman, An Entirely New, Complete and Permanent Science of Philosophy:

     Another important circumstance respecting our transcendental esthetics is, that it does not insinuate itself merely as a plausible hypothesis, but is as certain and indubitable as we can require any theory to be in order to serve as an organum.

• organum triplum

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ὄργανον (órganon, “organ, instrument, tool”).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɔr.ɡa.nũː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈɔr.ɡa.num]

organum n (genitive organī); second declension

1. an implement, instrument, tool
2. any musical instrument

Second-declension noun (neuter).

• organicus

Note: In many Romance languages, it is unclear whether inherited or borrowed from Latin.

• “organum”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “organum”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "organum", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “organum”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• “organum”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

Borrowed from Latin organum. Doublet of organe.

organum (plural organum)

1. A device used to produce music; a musical instrument.
2. A keyboard instrument that produces sound by air moved through pipes; an organ.

• (general musical instrument): instrument; organe; simphane; symphonye
• (keyboard instrument): organe

• “organum, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2 April 2018.

Borrowed from French organum.

organum n (uncountable)

1. organum