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system

system

528 3.3
A part of the body made of organs that work together for one job
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪstəm/
: sistema
  • - I found him to have no medical and neurological illness of any type, his nervous system is intact, his general physical health is good.
  • nervous system
  • immune system
  • central nervous system

When you're eating that much food, your system expects more food.

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Examples

  • Remember, I told you we gotta jolt your nervous system.

  • Your immune system is in collapse.

  • And so you can design an entire system based on your body.

  • So what you need is a nervous system, sort of brain, if you will.

  • - It's bad on my nervous system.

  • You have a very good circulatory system.

  • Huntington's disease affects the central nervous system and causes involuntary jerky movements and double vision.

    Academic text (2012)
  • A decrease in compensatory mechanisms leaves the cardiovascular system more vulnerable to pathology with age.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The normal, age-related physiological changes to the body's systems are summarized in Table 2.

    Academic text (2012)
  • The digestive system breaks down food so the body can absorb nutrients.

Synonyms

body
vssystem
∞ 1.0

All the physical parts of a person, animal, or plant

can also mean just a cooperating set of organs rather than the entire organism
tract
vssystem
  • Specialized
46 5.1

A group of connected body parts that do a specific job like digestion or breathing

is broader, covering any organ group not only long connected pathways
apparatus
vssystem
  • Specialized
36 5.9

A group of organs or body parts that work together to do one job

can also mean the entire organism rather than a single organ group
biosystem
vssystem
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A group of organs and tissues that work together to do a job in the body

can also mean the whole organism rather than a smaller unit

Antonyms

220 2.6

The process of moving apart or staying apart

A group, system, or organization loses order and stops working well

Idioms

A sudden change in life or work that feels unpleasant and hard to handle

Compounds

153 2.3

The Sun and the objects that move around it, like planets and moons

immune system
  • Specialized
130 3.2

Part of the body that protects you from germs and disease

127 2.3

The group that runs schools for children from kindergarten to high school

113 3.3

A set of devices like cameras and sensors that warn about intruders

operating system
  • Specialized
100 3.4

Software that controls a computer and lets other programs run

The people, groups, and laws that govern a country

legal system
  • Formal
84 3.1

A country's courts, officials, and rules that decide and enforce laws

nervous system
  • Specialized
83 2.8

A network of nerves that sends messages between the brain and body to control movement and feeling

computer system
  • Specialized
80 2.8

A group of computers and software that work together to store and use data

defense system
  • Specialized
53 3.9

Weapons and other equipment used to protect a country or area from attack

weapon system
  • Specialized
52 3.6

A group of machines and tools used together by the military to attack or defend

All the banks in a country that work together to manage money and payments

control system
  • Specialized
49 3.9

A system that keeps a machine or process working as it should

48 3.8

A set of ideas and values that shape how people think and act

A group of people who help and encourage you in hard times

40 2.5

A group of devices that warns you automatically about danger like fire or a break-in

The courts and judges who use laws to make fair decisions about cases

The way a country organizes how it makes, shares, and uses goods and services

37 3.6

Rules a government uses to set and collect taxes from people and businesses

33 3.5

A set of electronic devices that records, makes louder, or plays sound

transportation system
  • Specialized
27 3.2

A network of vehicles and routes that moves people or goods

27 3.9

A group of people with shared rules and roles for living together

26 3.2

The brain and spinal cord that control the body and mind

communication system
  • Specialized
25 3.0

A way to send and receive information between people or machines

A group of parts that supply and carry electricity in a building, car, or area

24 2.3

A set of pipes and buildings that collect, clean, and send water to homes

power system
  • Specialized
24 3.5

A network of machines and wires that make and send electricity to homes and businesses

21 2.4

Electric trains that run under a city and carry many people

20 5.2

A set of ideas about what is right and wrong that guides a person or group

guidance system
  • Specialized
19 5.0

A group of devices that automatically steer a vehicle like a rocket or plane

cooling system
  • Specialized
19 3.3

A set of parts that remove heat to keep a machine or building cool

surveillance system
  • Specialized
18 3.9

A group of cameras and devices that watch people or places for safety

life-support system
  • Specialized
18 4.0

Equipment that keeps a person alive by doing the body's most important jobs

17 4.6

A set of weapons and radar that find and stop enemy missiles before they hit

ventilation system
  • Specialized
17 3.4

A group of fans and ducts that brings fresh air into a building and removes stale air

digestive system
  • Specialized
17 3.4

The parts of the body that break down food and take in nutrients

propulsion system
  • Specialized
17 4.4

A group of parts that push a vehicle forward, like an engine

16 2.8

A set of rules for choosing leaders or deciding public issues

sewer system
  • Specialized
15 3.2

A system of underground pipes that carries dirty water from homes and streets

information system
  • Specialized
15 3.3

A set of tools and rules that help people in a company collect, store, and share records

monetary system
  • Specialized
14 3.7

The way a country supplies and manages money and how people measure its value

14 2.7

A system that sends voice over wires or the internet

sprinkler system
  • Specialized
14 3.2

A set of pipes and small nozzles that automatically spray water to put out fires

13 3.3

A way to put people or things into levels by how good they are

A system that warms a building by moving hot air or water

A network of main roads that carry cars and trucks between cities and regions

11 2.9

A way of putting papers or computer files in order so you can find them easily

weapons system
  • Specialized
11 4.1

A group of weapons designed to work together for military use

A set of rules for how votes are cast and counted to choose leaders

The central bank of the United States that controls money and checks banks

Organs that make sex cells and let people or animals have babies

early warning system
  • Specialized
10 4.1

A system that detects threats early, like missiles or storms, and sends alerts so people can act

10 2.8

A set of electronic equipment that plays recorded music through two speakers

9 3.5

A way of arranging and storing paper documents or computer data so you can find them

9 3.4

A system in courts where ordinary people decide if someone is guilty in a trial

A system of measurement using meters, kilograms, and seconds

respiratory system
  • Specialized
8 3.7

Parts of the body that take in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide when you breathe

8 3.0

A television service that sends channels to homes through wires

data system
  • Specialized
8 3.4

A set of computers and networks that store, send, and manage an organization's information

8 4.6

Affecting every part of a system, not just one part

8 3.3

A way of putting two people together so they help and keep each other safe

8 6.5

A social order where people stay in the group they are born into for life

7 4.8

A system where people trust each other to be honest without being watched

7 2.8

A set of loud electronic speakers that plays announcements in public places

fuel system
  • Specialized
7 3.6

A part of a car or plane that stores and gives fuel to the engine

patent system
  • Specialized
7 3.9

A system of laws that gives inventors the only right to make, use, or sell an invention for a time

circulatory system
  • Specialized
7 3.3

Organs and blood vessels, including the heart, that move blood and a clear fluid called lymph around the body

navigational system
  • Specialized
7 4.4

A set of tools that shows a ship's or plane's position and direction on a map

7 3.4

A system that uses satellites to find the exact position of a device on Earth

A way to let people talk to each other using phones when far apart

6 3.5

A method of adding or removing points to judge performance

software system
  • Specialized
6 3.4

A set of programs that work together on a computer to do a job

accounting system
  • Specialized
5 3.1

A way to record and track a business's money and payments

How Complex

organism
13 4.7
system
528 3.3
organ
394 2.6
tissue
  • Specialized
418 3.2
cell
  • Specialized
∞ 2.1

Surface Forms

system singular
systems plural

Etymology

System comes from the Greek systēma, made from syn- 'together' and a word meaning 'to put', so it always means 'things put together'. This helps explain body uses of system, like the digestive or nervous system, where organs work together to do one job.