From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishoperaop‧e‧ra /ˈɒpərə $ ˈɑː-/ ●●○ noun 1 [countable]APMAPT a musical play in which all of the words are sung → operetta We go to the opera (=go to a performance of opera) regularly. an opera singer2 [uncountable]APMAPT these plays considered as a form of art —operatic /ˌɒpəˈrætɪk◂ $ ˌɑː-/ adjective operatic performances —operatically /-kli/ adverb → grand opera, soap opera
Examples from the Corpus
opera• Rain was reminded of amateur opera companies, of Madeleine Corley.• Do you enjoy opera?• one of Puccini's best-loved operas• There will be a lot of opera buffs interested in these particular stamps as well as the normal collectors.• This is the principal reason that the great voices of opera seldom sing popular songs.• Yes, this is a soap opera.• Career Girls never devolves into soap opera, but remains a focused, complex portrayal of a friendship.• It might be helpful at this point to consider how the opera as a whole works along comparable lines.• Like everybody from factory workers to opera stars, writers were supposed to serve the totalitarian state and its purposes.opera singer• And Angèle Didier is supposed to be an opera singer, an experienced woman of the world.• I worked and worked at my singing, because I wanted to be an opera singer.• The portrait photographer had me clasp my hands like an opera singer and look straight into the camera.• An opera singer was shrieking-wah-wah.• This was the home of the celebrated opera singer Destinová who held her salon here.• Some people say he's a famous opera singer who likes to come incognito back to his roots.• Another was a leading light opera singer in the local community.• My father told me a joke once, about a man who marries an ugly opera singer because he loves her voice.Origin opera (1600-1700) Italian Latin, “works”, plural of opus; → OPUS 