opera

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: op=er=a

CIDE DICTIONARY

opera, n. [It., fr. opera work, composition, opposed to an improvisation, fr. L. opera pains, work, fr. opus, operis, work, labor: cf. F. opéra. See Operate.].

•  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.  [1913 Webster]
•  The score of a musical drama, either written or in print; a play set to music.  [1913 Webster]
•  The house where operas are exhibited.  [1913 Webster]

∥Opéra 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. -- ∥Opéra 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.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

opera, n.
1 a a dramatic work in one or more acts, set to music for singers (usu. in costume) and instrumentalists. b this as a genre.
2 a building for the performance of opera.

Idiom

opera-glasses small binoculars for use at the opera or theatre. opera-hat a man's tall collapsible hat. opera-house a theatre for the performance of opera.

opera, pl. of OPUS.

DEVIL DICTIONARY

opera

n. A play representing life in another world, whose inhabitants have no speech but song, no motions but gestures and no postures but attitudes. All acting is simulation, and the word _simulation_ is from _simia_, an ape; but in opera the actor takes for his model _Simia audibilis_ (or _Pithecanthropos stentor_) -- the ape that howls.

The actor apes a man -- at least in shape;
The opera performer apes and ape.

THESAURUS

opera

Broadway musical, Elizabethan theater, Globe Theatre, Grand Guignol, Greek theater, Passion play, Singspiel, Tom show, amphitheater, antimasque, arena theater, arrangement, artifact, audience success, auditorium, ballad opera, ballet, ballet divertissement, bomb, brainchild, broadcast drama, burlesque show, cabaret, charade, child, chorus show, circle theater, cliff hanger, closet drama, club, coinage, comedy ballet, comedy drama, comic opera, composition, concert hall, concoction, copy, creation, creature, critical success, crowning achievement, dance drama, daytime serial, dialogue, distillation, documentary drama, draft, drama, dramalogue, dramatic play, dramatic series, duodrama, duologue, edition, effect, end product, epic theater, essence, experimental theater, extract, extravaganza, failure, flop, fruit, gasser, giveaway, grand opera, hall, handiwork, happening, hit, hit show, house, hymnal, hymnbook, improvisational drama, instrumental score, invention, issue, legitimate drama, libretto, light opera, little theater, lute tablature, lyric drama, manufacture, masque, masterpiece, masterwork, melodrama, minstrel, minstrel show, mintage, miracle, miracle play, monodrama, monologue, morality, morality play, music, music drama, music hall, music paper, music roll, musical, musical comedy, musical notation, musical revue, musical score, musical stage, musical theater, mystery, mystery play, new mintage, night spot, nightclub, notation, offspring, opera ballet, opera bouffe, opera buffa, opera house, opera score, operetta, opus, opuscule, orchestral score, origination, outcome, outdoor theater, outgrowth, pageant, panel show, pantomime, part, pastoral, pastoral drama, piano score, piece, play, playhouse, playlet, problem play, product, production, psychodrama, quiz show, radio drama, result, review, revue, score, sensational play, serial, sheet music, short score, show, showboat, sitcom, situation comedy, sketch, skit, soap, soap opera, sociodrama, song-and-dance act, song-play, songbook, songster, spectacle, stage play, stage show, straight drama, success, suspense drama, tablature, tableau, tableau vivant, talk show, teleplay, television drama, television play, text, theater, theater of cruelty, theater-in-the-round, theatron, total theater, transcript, transcription, variety show, vaudeville, vaudeville show, vehicle, version, vocal score, word-of-mouth success, work, written music

ROGET THESAURUS

opera

Poetry

N poetry, poetics, poesy, Muse, Calliope, tuneful Nine, Parnassus, Helicon, Pierides, Pierian spring, versification, rhyming, making verses, prosody, orthometry, poem, epic, epic poem, epopee, epopoea, ode, epode, idyl, lyric, eclogue, pastoral, bucolic, dithyramb, anacreontic, sonnet, roundelay, rondeau, rondo, madrigal, canzonet, cento, monody, elegy, amoebaeum, ghazal, palinode, dramatic poetry, lyric poetry, opera, posy, anthology, disjecta membra poetae song, ballad, lay, love song, drinking song, war song, sea song, lullaby, music, nursery rhymes, doggerel, Hudibrastic verse, prose run mad, macaronics, macaronic verse, leonine verse, runes, canto, stanza, distich, verse, line, couplet, triplet, quatrain, strophe, antistrophe, verse, rhyme, assonance, crambo, meter, measure, foot, numbers, strain, rhythm, accentuation, dactyl, spondee, trochee, anapest, hexameter, pentameter, Alexandrine, anacrusis, antispast, blank verse, ictus, elegiacs, elegiac verse, elegaic meter, elegaic poetry, poet, poet laureate, laureate, bard, lyrist, scald, skald, troubadour, trouvere, minstrel, minnesinger, meistersinger, improvisatore, versifier, sonneteer, rhymer, rhymist, rhymester, ballad monger, runer, poetaster, genus irritabile vatum, poetic, poetical, lyric, lyrical, tuneful, epic, dithyrambic, metrical, a catalectin, elegiac, iambic, trochaic, anapestic, amoebaeic, Melibean, skaldic, Ionic, Sapphic, Alcaic, Pindaric, a poem round and perfect as a star, Dichtung und Wahrheit, furor poeticus, his virtues formed the magic of his song, I do but sing because I must, I learnt life from the poets, licentia vatum, mutum est pictura poema, O for a muse of fire!, sweet food of sweetly uttered knowledge, the true poem is the poet's mind, Volk der Dichter und Denker, wisdom married to immortal verse.

The Drama

N the drama, the stage, the theater, the play, film the film, movies, motion pictures, cinema, cinematography, theatricals, dramaturgy, histrionic art, buskin, sock, cothurnus, Melpomene and Thalia, Thespis, play, drama, stage play, piece, five-act play, tragedy, comedy, opera, vaudeville, comedietta, lever de rideau, interlude, afterpiece, exode, farce, divertissement, extravaganza, burletta, harlequinade, pantomime, burlesque, opera bouffe, ballet, spectacle, masque, drame comedie drame, melodrama, melodrame, comidie larmoyante, sensation drama, tragicomedy, farcical-comedy, monodrame monologue, duologue trilogy, charade, proverbs, mystery, miracle play, musical, musical comedy, western, horse opera, flick, spy film, love story, adventure film, documentary, nature film, pornographic film, smoker, skin flick, X-rated film, act, scene, tableau, induction, introduction, prologue, epilogue, libretto, performance, representation, mise en scene, stagery, jeu de theatre, acting, gesture, impersonation, stage business, gag, buffoonery, light comedy, genteel comedy, low comedy, theater, playhouse, opera house, house, music hall, amphitheater, circus, hippodrome, theater in the round, puppet show, fantoccini, marionettes, Punch and Judy, auditory, auditorium, front of the house, stalls, boxes, pit, gallery, parquet, greenroom, coulisses, flat, drop, drop scene, wing, screen, side scene, transformation scene, curtain, act drop, proscenium, stage, scene, scenery, the boards, trap, mezzanine floor, flies, floats, footlights, offstage, orchestra, theatrical costume, theatrical properties, movie studio, back lot, on location, part, role, character, dramatis personae, repertoire, actor, thespian, player, method actor, stage player, strolling player, stager, performer, mime, mimer, artists, comedian, tragedian, tragedienne, Roscius, star, movie star, star of stage and screen, superstar, idol, sex symbol, supporting actor, supporting cast, ham, hamfatter, masker, pantomimist, clown harlequin, buffo, buffoon, farceur, grimacer, pantaloon, columbine, punchinello, pulcinello, pulcinella, extra, bit- player, walk-on role, cameo appearance, mute, figurante, general utility, super, supernumerary, company, first tragedian, prima donna, protagonist, jeune premier, debutant, debutante, light comedian, genteel comedian, low comedian, walking gentleman, amoroso, heavy father, ingenue, jeune veuve, mummer, guiser, guisard, gysart, masque, mountebank, Jack Pudding, tumbler, posture master, acrobat, contortionist, ballet dancer, ballet girl, chorus singer, coryphee danseuse, property man, costumier, machinist, prompter, call boy, manager, director, stage manager, acting manager, producer, entrepreneur, impresario, backer, investor, angel, dramatic author, dramatic writer, play writer, playwright, dramatist, mimographer, dramatic, theatric, theatrical, scenic, histrionic, comic, tragic, buskined, farcical, tragicomic, melodramatic, operatic, stagy, on the stage, on the boards, on film, before the floats, before an audience, behind the scenes, fere totus mundus exercet histrionem, suit the action to the word, the word to the action, the play's the thing, to wake the soul by tender strokes of art.

Music

N music, concert, strain, tune, air, melody, aria, arietta, piece of music, work, number, opus, sonata, rondo, rondeau, pastorale, cavatina, roulade, fantasia, concerto, overture, symphony, variations, cadenza, cadence, fugue, canon, quodlibet, serenade, notturno, dithyramb, opera, operetta, oratorio, composition, movement, stave, passamezzo, toccata, Vorspiel, instrumental music, full score, minstrelsy, tweedledum and tweedledee, band, orchestra, concerted piece, potpourri, capriccio, vocal music, vocalism, chaunt, chant, psalm, psalmody, hymn, song, canticle, canzonet, cantata, bravura, lay, ballad, ditty, carol, pastoral, recitative, recitativo, solfeggio, Lydian measures, slow music, slow movement, adagio, minuet, siren strains, soft music, lullaby, dump, dirge, pibroch, martial music, march, dance music, waltz, solo, duet, duo, trio, quartet, quartett, septett, part song, descant, glee, madrigal, catch, round, chorus, chorale, antiphon, antiphony, accompaniment, second, bass, score, bourdon, drone, morceau, terzetto, composer, musician, musical, instrumental, vocal, choral, lyric, operatic, harmonious, Wagnerian, adagio, largo, larghetto, andante, andantino, alla capella, maestoso, moderato, allegro, allegretto, spiritoso, vivace, veloce, presto, prestissimo, con brio, capriccioso, scherzo, scherzando, legato, staccato, crescendo, diminuendo, rallentando, affettuoso, obbligato, pizzicato, desto, in notes by distance made more sweet, like the faint exquisite music of a dream, music arose with its voluptuous swell, music is the universal language of mankind, music's golden tongue, the speech of angels, will sing the savageness out of a bear, music hath charms to soothe the savage beast.