opera

noun

1. a play having all or most of its text set to music, with arias, recitatives, choruses, duets, trios, etc. sung to orchestral accompaniment, usually characterized by elaborate costuming, scenery, and choreography
2. the branch of art represented by such plays
3. the score, libretto, or performance of such a play
4. a theater in which operas are given

Origin: It < L, a work, labor, akin to opus: see opus

noun