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1. A drama, either tragic or comic, of which music forms an essential part; a drama wholly or mostly
sung, consisting of recitative, arials, 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.
||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 (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.
Operable
(Op"er*a*ble) a. Practicable. [Obs.]
Operameter
(Op`er*am"e*ter) n. [L. opus, operis, pl. opera work + -meter.] An instrument or machine
for measuring work done, especially for ascertaining the number of rotations made by a machine or
wheel in manufacturing cloth; a counter. Ure.
Operance
(Op"er*ance Op"er*an*cy) n. The act of operating or working; operation. [R.]
Operand
(Op"er*and) n. [From neuter of L. operandus, gerundive of operari. See Operate.] (Math.)
The symbol, quantity, or thing upon which a mathematical operation is performed; — called also faciend.
Operant
(Op"er*ant) a. [L. operans, p. pr. of operari. See Operate.] Operative. [R.] Shak. — n.
An operative person or thing. [R.] Coleridge.
Operate
(Op"er*ate) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Operated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Operating.] [L. operatus, p. p. of
operari to work, fr. opus, operis, work, labor; akin to Skr. apas, and also to G. üben to exercise, OHG.
uoben, Icel. fa. Cf. Inure, Maneuver, Ure.]
1. To perform a work or labor; to exert power or strengh, physical or mechanical; to act.
2. To produce an appropriate physical effect; to issue in the result designed by nature; especially (Med.),
to take appropriate effect on the human system.
3. To act or produce effect on the mind; to exert moral power or influence.
The virtues of private persons operate but on a few. Atterbury.
A plain, convincing reason operates on the mind both of a learned and ignorant hearer as long as they
live. Swift. 4. (Surg.) To perform some manual act upon a human body in a methodical manner, and usually with
instruments, with a view to restore soundness or health, as in amputation, lithotomy, etc.
5. To deal in stocks or any commodity with a view to speculative profits. [Brokers' Cant]
Operate
(Op"er*ate), v. t.
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