Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Opera
Op′er-a
(ŏp′ẽr-ȧ)
, Noun.
[It., fr.
opera
work, composition, opposed to an improvisation, fr. L. opera
pains, work, fr. opus
, operis
, work, labor: cf. F. opéra
. See Operate
.] 1.
A drama, either tragic or comic, of which music forms an essential part; a drama wholly or mostly sung, consisting of recitative, arias, choruses, duets, trios, etc., with orchestral accompaniment, preludes, and interludes, together with appropriate costumes, scenery, and action; a lyric drama.
2.
The score of a musical drama, either written or in print; a play set to music.
3.
The house where operas are exhibited.
Opera bouffe
[F.
, opéra
opera + bouffe
comic, It. buffo
]Opera buffa
[It.]
light, farcical, burlesque opera.
– Opera box
, a partially inclosed portion of the auditorium of an opera house for the use of a small private party.
– Opera comique
[F.]
, comic or humorous opera.
– Opera flannel
, a light flannel, highly finished.
Knight.
– Opera girl
or
Opera girls
(Bot.)
, an East Indian plant (
– Mantisia saltatoria
) of the Ginger family, sometimes seen in hothouses. It has curious flowers which have some resemblance to a ballet dancer, whence the popular name. Called also dancing girls
. Opera glass
, a short telescope with concave eye lenses of low power, usually made double, that is, with a tube and set of glasses for each eye; a lorgnette; – so called because adapted for use at the opera, theater, etc.
– Opera hat
, a gentleman’s folding hat.
– Opera house
, specifically, a theater devoted to the performance of operas.
– Opera seria
[It.]
, serious or tragic opera; grand opera.
Webster 1828 Edition
Opera
OP'ERA
,Noun.
A dramatic composition set to music and sung on the stage, accompanied with musical instruments and enriched with magnificent dresses, machines, dancing, &c.
Definition 2025
Opera
Opera
English
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opera
opera
English

Opéra Garnier in Paris
Noun
opera (plural operas or opere)
- (music) A theatrical work combining drama, music, song and sometimes dance.
- (music) The score for such a work.
- A building designed for the performance of such works; an opera house.
- 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter VI”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
- “I don't mean all of your friends—only a small proportion—which, however, connects your circle with that deadly, idle, brainless bunch—the insolent chatterers at the opera, the gorged dowagers, […], the jewelled animals whose moral code is the code of the barnyard—!"
-
- A company dedicated to performing such works.
- (by extension) Any showy, melodramatic or unrealistic production resembing an opera.
- A collection of work (plural of opus).
Derived terms
Terms derived from "opera"
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Related terms
Terms etymologically related to "opera"
Translations
theatrical work
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score
building
company
See also
Anagrams
Esperanto
Adjective
opera (accusative singular operan, plural operaj, accusative plural operajn)
- of or relating to opera
Related terms
- opero (“opera”)
Hungarian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈopɛrɒ]
- Hyphenation: ope‧ra
Noun
opera (plural operák)
Declension
Inflection (stem in long/high vowel, back harmony) | ||
---|---|---|
singular | plural | |
nominative | opera | operák |
accusative | operát | operákat |
dative | operának | operáknak |
instrumental | operával | operákkal |
causal-final | operáért | operákért |
translative | operává | operákká |
terminative | operáig | operákig |
essive-formal | operaként | operákként |
essive-modal | — | — |
inessive | operában | operákban |
superessive | operán | operákon |
adessive | operánál | operáknál |
illative | operába | operákba |
sublative | operára | operákra |
allative | operához | operákhoz |
elative | operából | operákból |
delative | operáról | operákról |
ablative | operától | operáktól |
Possessive forms of opera | ||
---|---|---|
possessor | single possession | multiple possessions |
1st person sing. | operám | operáim |
2nd person sing. | operád | operáid |
3rd person sing. | operája | operái |
1st person plural | operánk | operáink |
2nd person plural | operátok | operáitok |
3rd person plural | operájuk | operáik |
Derived terms
Italian
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
opera f (plural opere)
Synonyms
- (1) lavoro
- (2) mezzo, aiuto, servigi
- (4) melodramma
- (5) istituzione, istituto
Related terms
Verb
opera
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈo.pe.ra/, [ˈɔ.pɛ.ra]
Noun
opera
Noun
opera f (genitive operae); first declension
- trouble, pains, exertion
- work, labour
- 405 CE, Jerome, Vulgate Exodus.20.9
-
Sex diebus operaberis, et facies omnia opera tua.
- Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work.
-
Sex diebus operaberis, et facies omnia opera tua.
-
Inflection
First declension.
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
nominative | opera | operae |
genitive | operae | operārum |
dative | operae | operīs |
accusative | operam | operās |
ablative | operā | operīs |
vocative | opera | operae |
Related terms
Descendants
References
- opera in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- opera in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- OPERA in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
- Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- to take care of one's health: valetudini consulere, operam dare
- to take great pains in order to..: studiose (diligenter, enixe, sedulo, maxime) dare operam, ut...
- to expend great labour on a thing: egregiam operam (multum, plus etc. operae) dare alicui rei
- to expend great labour on a thing: operam alicui rei tribuere, in aliquid conferre
- to expend great labour on a thing: operam (laborem, curam) in or ad aliquid impendere
- to exert oneself very energetically in a matter: multum operae ac laboris consumere in aliqua re
- to spare no pains: labori, operae non parcere
- to lose one's labour: operam (et oleum) perdere or frustra consumere
- it is worth while: operae pretium est (c. Inf.)
- to become a pupil, disciple of some one: operam dare or simply se dare alicui, se tradere in disciplinam alicuius, se conferre, se applicare ad aliquem
- let the consuls take measures for the protection of the state: videant or dent operam consules, ne quid res publica detrimenti capiat (Catil. 1. 2. 4)
-
(ambiguous) to strain every nerve, do one's utmost in a matter: omni ope atque opera or omni virium contentione eniti, ut
-
(ambiguous) designedly; intentionally: de industria, dedita opera (opp. imprudens)
-
(ambiguous) to let out public works to contract: locare opera publica
-
(ambiguous) to raise siege-works: opera facere
- to take care of one's health: valetudini consulere, operam dare
Latvian
Noun
opera f (4 declension)
Declension
Declension of opera (4th declension)
singular (vienskaitlis) | plural (daudzskaitlis) | |
---|---|---|
nominative (nominatīvs) | opera | operas |
accusative (akuzatīvs) | operu | operas |
genitive (ģenitīvs) | operas | operu |
dative (datīvs) | operai | operām |
instrumental (instrumentālis) | operu | operām |
locative (lokatīvs) | operā | operās |
vocative (vokatīvs) | opera | operas |
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Italian opera (per musica)
Noun
opera m (definite singular operaen, indefinite plural operaer, definite plural operaene)
- an opera
- an opera house (also operahus)
Derived terms
References
- “opera” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Italian opera (per musica)
Noun
opera m (definite singular operaen, indefinite plural operaer or operaar, definite plural operaene or operaane)
- an opera
- an opera house (also operahus)
Derived terms
References
- “opera” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Portuguese
Verb
opera
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
From Italian opera, from Latin opera.
Noun
ȍpera f (Cyrillic spelling о̏пера)
Declension
Declension of opera
Spanish
Verb
opera
- Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of operar.
- Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of operar.
- Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present indicative form of operar.
Swedish
Pronunciation
Noun
opera c
- an opera; a musical theatre play
- an opera house; an institution or building where opera is performed
Declension
Inflection of opera | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | opera | operan | operor | operorna |
Genitive | operas | operans | operors | operornas |
Related terms
- operaföreställning
- operahus
- operett