n.; sing. Orgies /plu>. [ F. orgie, orgies, L. orgia, pl., Gr. &unr_;; akin to &unr_; work. See Organ, and Work. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A sacrifice accompanied by certain ceremonies in honor of some pagan deity; especially, the ceremonies observed by the Greeks and Romans in the worship of Dionysus, or Bacchus, which were characterized by wild and dissolute revelry. Usually in the plural form. [ The singular is rarely used in this sense. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

As when, with crowned cups, unto the Elian god,
Those priests high orgies held. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Wild, drunken, or licentious revelry; an uninhibited carouse. B. Jonson. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A series of sexual activities involving more than two couples in a group. [ PJC ]

4. Hence: An event characterized by unrestrained indulgence in passion; as, an orgy of buying of internet stocks. [ PJC ]

n.; pl. Orgies A frantic revel; drunken revelry. See Orgies [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; the length of the outstretched arms. So named because, when at rest, it stretches forward its fore legs like arms. ] (Zool.). A genus of bombycid moths whose caterpillars (esp. those of Orgyia leucostigma) are often very injurious to fruit trees and shade trees. The female is wingless. Called also vaporer moth. [ 1913 Webster ]