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<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>DICTIONARY: opera bouffe - operatize</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="operabouffe"> opera bouffe,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. comic opera, especially of a farcical kind. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) an absurd situation; ridiculous arrangement. Ex. The bureaucratic opera bouffe which is more or less inseparable from the attempt to administer a gigantic philanthropic enterprise (Atlantic). </DL> <A NAME="operabuffa"> opera buffa,<DL COMPACT><DD> comic opera in which the dialogue is sung, not spoken. Ex. Donizetti's opera buffa "Don Pasquale" (New York Times). </DL> <A NAME="operacomique"> opera comique,<DL COMPACT><DD> (French.) comic opera. Ex. Opera comique is the French name for opera in which the dialogue is spoken instead of sung (Konrad Neuger). </DL> <A NAME="operaglasses"> opera glasses or glass,<DL COMPACT><DD> small binoculars for use at the opera and in theaters. Opera glasses are like field glasses, but smaller. (SYN) lorgnette. </DL> <A NAME="operagoer"> operagoer, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a person who regularly attends the opera. </DL> <A NAME="operahat"> opera hat,<DL COMPACT><DD> a tall collapsible hat worn by a man with formal clothes. </DL> <A NAME="operahouse"> opera house,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a theater where operas are presented. <DD> 2. (U.S.) any theater, especially a rural one. </DL> <A NAME="operand"> operand, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. (Mathematics.) the quantity or expression that is to be subjected to a mathematical operation. <DD> 2. any one of the items of information involved in a computer operation. Ex. Command language is oriented to the kinds of thing the user will require [the computer] to do; in computer jargon, its "operands" are files to be operated on, typical commands having the effect "use this program on these files to produce these resultant files" (New Scientist). </DL> <A NAME="operant"> operant, adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>adj. 1. in operation; working. Ex. No conscious courage was operant in me (G. Macdonald). <DD> 2. of or having to do with operant conditioning. Ex. operant learning. <DD>noun 1. a person or thing that operates. <DD> 2. (Rare.) a workman; operator. </DL> <A NAME="operantconditioning"> operant conditioning,<DL COMPACT><DD> (Psychology.) <DD> 1. a form of conditioning in which the subject's responses are reinforced to produce the desired pattern of responses; instrumental learning. Ex. In operant conditioning, the response made by the individual is instrumental in obtaining a reward or reinforcement (Austin E. Grigg). <DD> 2. =reinforcement therapy. </DL> <A NAME="operapump"> opera pump,<DL COMPACT><DD> a low-cut, untrimmed shoe for women. </DL> <A NAME="operaseria"> opera seria,<DL COMPACT><DD> (Italian.) serious or tragic opera. </DL> <A NAME="operatable"> operatable, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. that can be operated. <DD> 2. that can be operated on surgically. </DL> <A NAME="operate"> operate, verb, -ated, -ating.<DL COMPACT><DD>v.i. 1. to be at work; run. Ex. The machinery operates night and day. (SYN) perform, function. <DD> 2. to produce an effect; work; act. Ex. Several causes operated to bring on the war. <DD> 3. to produce a desired effect. Ex. Some medicines operate more quickly than others. <DD> 4. to do something to the body, usually with instruments, to improve or restore health; perform surgery. Ex. The doctor operated on the injured man, removing his damaged lung. <DD> 5. to carry on military movements, duties, or functions. <DD> 6. to buy and sell stocks and bonds. Ex. to operate in stocks. <DD>v.t. 1. to keep at work; drive; run. Ex. The boy operates the elevator. <DD> 2. to direct the working of as owner or manager; manage. Ex. That company operates three factories. <DD> 3. to bring about; produce (some effect). Ex. We admitted that the Book ... had even operated changes in our way of thought (Thomas Carlyle). </DL> <A NAME="operatic"> operatic, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or like the opera. Ex. operatic music. adv. operatically. </DL> <A NAME="operating"> operating, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. used in performing operations. Ex. ... the high operating speed of a computer (Science News). <DD> 2. of or involving business operations. Ex. operating costs. <DD> 3. that operates. Ex. an operating surgeon. </DL> <A NAME="operatingengineer"> operating engineer,<DL COMPACT><DD> an engineer who supervises the operation of machines, a plant, or a system of plants. </DL> <A NAME="operatingroom"> operating room,<DL COMPACT><DD> a room, usually in a hospital, that is specially equipped for surgical operations. </DL> <A NAME="operatingtable"> operating table,<DL COMPACT><DD> the table for a patient to lie on during a surgical operation. </DL> <A NAME="operatingunion"> operating union,<DL COMPACT><DD> a union of railroad workers who are directly involved in the operation of trains, such as engineers, conductors, and switchmen. </DL> <A NAME="operation"> operation, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the act or process of operating; keeping something working. Ex. The operation of a railroad needs many men. The operation of natural law is constant. <DD> 2. the way a thing works; manner of working. Ex. The operation of this machine is simple. <DD> 3. the performance of something; doing; action; activity. Ex. the operation of binding a book, the operation of brushing one's teeth. <DD> 4. something done to the body, usually with instruments, to improve or restore health. Ex. Taking out the tonsils is a common operation. <DD> 5a. the movements of soldiers, ships, and supplies for war purposes. Ex. The assembling of an invasion force is a major operation. (SYN) maneuver. <DD> b. a particular military movement or undertaking, usually with a code name added. (Example:) Operation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Europe across the English Channel in June, 1944). <DD> c. any plan, project, or undertaking designated by a code name. Ex. Since 1953 the area has engaged in a strenuous "Operation Bootstrap" program of self-help (Wall Street Journal). <DD> 6a. something done to a number or quantity in mathematics according to specific rules. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are the four commonest operations in arithmetic. <DD> b. the act of making such a change. <DD> 7. a commercial transaction, especially one that is speculative and on a large scale. Ex. operations in stocks or wheat. <DD> 8. the power to operate or work; efficacy; force (now used chiefly of legal documents). expr. in operation, <DD> a. running; working; in action. Ex. The motor is now in operation. <DD> b. in use or effect. Ex. The new law has been in operation since Monday. </DL> <A NAME="operational"> operational, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. of or having to do with operations of any kind. Ex. The problems uncovered by this report, and the present criticism by operational managers ... indicate that this emphasis has not been misplaced (London Times Literary Supplement). <DD> 2. in condition to operate effectively. Ex. The Hunter, which is comparable in performance with the Sabre Jet ... flies about 650 miles an hour in operational trim (New York Times). <DD> 3. used in a military operation; trained or equipped to carry out a particular mission. Ex. operational troops. adv. operationally. </DL> <A NAME="operationalism"> operationalism, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Philosophy.) the doctrine that statements or ideas do not have meaning except for what they signify in actual practice. Only operation gives meaning. </DL> <A NAME="operationalist"> operationalist, noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun a person who maintains the doctrine of operationalism. <DD>adj. of or having to do with operationalists or operationalism. </DL> <A NAME="operationalresearch"> operational research,<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) operations research. </DL> <A NAME="operationism"> operationism, noun. =operationalism.</DL> <A NAME="operationist"> operationist, noun, adjective. =operationalist.</DL> <A NAME="operationsanalysis"> operations analysis, =systems analysis.</DL> <A NAME="operationsresearch"> operations research,<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S.) the use of scientific and mathematical methods in analyzing and solving problems dealing with the operation of any system or organization. </DL> <A NAME="operative"> operative, adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>adj. 1. in operation; exerting force or influence; operating or in effect. Ex. the laws operative in a community. <DD> 2. producing the intended or proper effect; effective. Ex. an operative medicine. (SYN) efficacious. <DD> 3. having to do with work or productiveness. Ex. the operative sections of a factory. <DD> 4. of, concerned with, or consisting of surgical operations. Ex. Treatment of the disease requires operative measures. <DD>noun 1. a trained or experienced laborer; worker. Ex. He is a skilled machine operative. (SYN) workman, hand. <DD> 2a. =detective. <DD> b. a secret agent or spy. <DD> 3. =operator (def. 4). Ex. political operatives. adv. operatively. noun operativeness. </DL> <A NAME="operatize"> operatize, transitive verb, -tized, -tizing.<DL COMPACT><DD> to put (a play or story) into the form of an opera. </DL> <A HREF="operator.dic">NEXT</A>