Sinnesorgan

Definition & meaning

Sinnesorgan means sensory organ: a body organ that receives stimuli from the environment and transmits information to the nervous system.

Examples include:

• the eye, which perceives light and enables sight
• the ear, which perceives sound and enables hearing
• the nose, which detects smells
• the tongue, which detects tastes
• the skin, which perceives touch, temperature, and pain

The word can also be used collectively to refer to one of the human or animal organs responsible for sensory perception.

Grammar & word origin

• Gender: neuter — das Sinnesorgan
• Plural: die Sinnesorgane
• Compound:
  • der Sinn ↗ — sense, perception
  • das Organ ↗ — organ
• Literally, Sinnesorgan means “organ of sense.” The connecting -es- is used to join the two parts of the compound.

Synonyms & antonyms

A close synonym is:

• das Wahrnehmungsorgan ↗ — perceptive or sensory organ. This is more technical and emphasizes the function of perceiving stimuli.

There is no direct antonym for Sinnesorgan, since it names a specific biological function rather than a quality with an opposite.

Common phrases & collocations

• ein Sinnesorgan ↗ — a sensory organ
• die Sinnesorgane des Menschen ↗ — the human sensory organs
• das menschliche Sinnesorgan ↗ — the human sensory organ
• die fünf Sinnesorgane ↗ — the five sensory organs
• ein Sinnesorgan für Licht, Schall oder Gerüche ↗ — a sensory organ for light, sound, or smells
• die Funktion eines Sinnesorgans ↗ — the function of a sensory organ