opus
/ˈəʊpəs
/ /ˈɒpəs/noun (plural opuses or opera /ˈɒp(ə)rə/)
1 Music A separate composition or set of compositions. See also Op.Although some composers still assign opus numbers to keep track of their output, it is no longer customary....
- The second piece was another Beethoven opus, Piano Concerto Number 5.
- The opus 39 Waltzes began as a work for solo piano.
2An artistic work, especially one on a large scale: he was writing an opus on Mexico...
- The Toronto art-rockers have a tendency to go for the extreme, whether it is a lavishly orchestrated children's record or a rock opus telling the story of the Group
- Once you've produced your opus, test it carefully before going public.
- Similarly, as with previous recordings, their latest opus is an effective mix of sprawling environmental textures, clanging, gritty percussion and humorous samples.
Synonyms
composition, work, work of art, oeuvre, piece, creation, production
rare opuscule
Origin
Early 18th century: from Latin, literally 'work'.
office from Middle English:
In the Middle Ages office meant a duty that went with someone's position or employment. It goes back ultimately to Latin officium ‘performance of a task’, which in turn comes from the combined elements of opus ‘work’ (source of English opus in the early 19th century and of operation (Late Middle English)) and facere ‘to do’. The sense of ‘a place for business’ is recorded from the later Middle Ages. Someone officious (Late Middle English) was originally obliging or efficient in carrying out their office. The word developed its modern negative sense at the end of the 16th century.