What is the Latin word for organ?

The usual Latin words for “organ” are īnstrūmentum, architectus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“organ” in Latin

īnstrūmentumAn instrument, tool, utensil; supply, provision; paraphernalia, equipment architectusarchitect, master builder; designer, inventor, author

The English word organ itself goes back to Latin organum.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

organ

An instrument, instrumentum (Cic.):

A musical instrument so called, *organum pneumaticum. The organ plays, *sonat organum pneumaticum: to play well upon an organ, organum pneumaticum scite tractare: the bellows of an organ, *follis organum pneumaticum: organ-builder, *organorum pneumaticorum artifex, architectus: organ-building, *organorum pneumaticorum construendorum ratio; *organopoeia: pipe of an organ, *fistula organi pneumatici; also, organon (Vitr.): the works of an organ, *machina organum pneumatici.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for organ?: The usual Latin words for “organ” are īnstrūmentum, architectus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.