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opus
opus (Lat.). Work. Word used, followed by a number, e.g. Opus 50, for the numbering of a composer's works. This numbering gives a rough idea of the order in which works were comp., but can be misleading. Sometimes the Opus no. is allotted by the composer, sometimes by the publisher. Some composers, e.g. Mozart, Haydn, did not number their works; some, e.g. Elgar, gave some works opus nos. and not others; some, e.g. R. Strauss, did likewise but also reallotted opus nos. so that much confusion arises in his case. Dvor̆ák allowed early works to be given late opus nos. by his publisher. In many cases an opus no. covers a group of works, in which case the numbering is subdivided, e.g. Op.59, No.3, or in a style often used, Op.59/3. In other cases, 2 versions of the same work exist and the composer uses letters after the number to differentiate them, e.g. Op.49a, Op.49b. Although the Latin plural of opus is opera, it has become customary to write ‘opuses’, to avoid confusion, just as in Italian ‘opera’ has become a singular noun with the plural opere.
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MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "opus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "opus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-opus.html MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "opus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-opus.html |
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opus
opus Latin, = ‘work’.
opus Alexandrinum a pavement mosaic work widely used in Byzantium in the 9th century and later in Italy, consisting of coloured stone, glass, and semiprecious stones arranged in intricate geometric patterns. opus anglicanum the fine pictorial embroidery produced in England in the Middle Ages, especially between c.1100 and c.1350, characterized by the depiction of lively human and animal figures, and the use of gold cloth, and used especially for ecclesiastical vestments. opus Dei in the Christian Church, liturgical worship regarded as man's primary duty to God. The Latin phrase, meaning literally ‘the work of God’, is attributed to St Benedict but is attested from the 5th century in the sense of Divine Office or worship. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "opus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "opus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-opus.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "opus." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-opus.html |
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opus
opus [Lat.,=work], in music, term used in cataloging a composer's works, designating either a single composition or a group published together or considered a unit. Opus numbers assigned by the composer are of greater value than those assigned by the publisher. Beethoven was the first composer whose use of opus numbers was consistent enough to be of value. |
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"opus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "opus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-opus.html "opus." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-opus.html |
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opus
opus work, esp. musical composition. XVIII (first in magnum o., o. magnum great work). — L., rel. to Skr. ápa-.
So opuscule XVII. — (O)F. — L. opusculum XVII. |
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T. F. HOAD. "opus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "opus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-opus.html T. F. HOAD. "opus." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-opus.html |
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opus
opus. Latin for ‘work’, as intended to designate construction, or arrangement of materials in construction.
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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "opus." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES STEVENS CURL. "opus." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-opus.html JAMES STEVENS CURL. "opus." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-opus.html |
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Opus
Opusa musical composition; a collection of compositions, 1809. |
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"Opus." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Opus." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505301046.html "Opus." Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. 1985. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505301046.html |
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opus
opus •Chiapas, tapas
•campus, grampus, hippocampus, pampas
•metacarpus, streptocarpus
•trespass • Priapus • Lepus
•Aristippus, Lysippus
•Olympus • Oedipus • platypus
•pompous
•corpus, porpoise
•Canopus, opus
•lupus, upas
•compass, encompass, rumpus
•octopus
•multipurpose, purpose
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Cite this article
"opus." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "opus." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-opus.html "opus." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-opus.html |
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