Lewis & Short

ŏpĕro, āvi, 1, v. a., post-class. collat. form of operor, q. v.

ŏpĕror (collat. form ŏpĕro, Cassiod. Hist. Eccl. 10, 33; Commod. 30, 14), ātus, 1, v. dep. n. [opus], to work, labor, toil, take pains; to be busied (not in Cic. or Cæs.).
Constr. absol. or with dat.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.
          1. (α) Absol.: seniores (apes) intus operantur, Plin. 11, 10, 10, § 21: servi, qui operari in agro consueverunt, Dig. 28, 5, 35.
          2. (β) With dat., to bestow pains upon a thing; to devote one’s self to, be engaged in or occupied with a thing (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): reipublicae, Liv. 4, 60, 2: conubiis arvisque novis operari, Verg. A. 3, 136: ornandis capillis, Ov. Am. 2, 7, 23: in cute curandā, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 29: textis Minervae, Tib 2, 1, 65: materiis caedendis, Tac. H. 5, 20: studiis litterarum, id. A. 3, 43: scholae, Quint. 10, 3, 13; Suet. Claud. 19: auditioni in scholis, Plin. 26, 2, 6, § 11; Val. Max. 8, 7, 4 ext.: rebus domesticis, Col. 12, 4, 3: reipublicae, Dig. 48, 5, 15.
    2. B. In partic., in relig. lang., to serve the gods, perform sacred rites, to honor or celebrate by sacrifices (for which: operam dare rebus divinis, Cic. Leg. 2, 11, 26): operari est deos religiose et cum summā veneratione sacrificiis litare, Non. 523, 9; Pompon. ap. Non. 523, 13: illum Dianae sanctum diem, Afran. ib. 14: sacra refer Cereri laetis operatus (= sacrificans) in herbis, Verg. G. 1, 339; cf.: Cynthia jam noctes est operata decem, Prop. 2, 33, 2 (3, 31, 2); and: mulier justis operata sacris, Hor C. 3, 14, 6: sacris, Liv. 1, 31, 8: superstitionibus, id. 10, 39, 2: viditque se operatum, et sanguine sacro respersa praetexta, Tac. A. 2, 14. Vesta, fave: tibi nunc operata resolvimus ora, the mouth devoted to thee, Ov. F. 6, 249: janua matutinis operatur festa lucernis, Juv. 12, 92.
  2. II. Transf.
      1. 1. To work, have effect, be effectual, to be active, to operate (post-class.): nihil denique praetermitteret, quod ad crudelitatem videretur operari, to be effectual, Capitol. Maxim. 13: ad sui dispendium, to avail, Cod. Just. 5, 12, 7: venenum operatur, operates, Lampr. Commod. 17.
      2. 2. Act. (eccl. Lat.)
          1. (α) To work, carry into effect, administer: justi tiam, Lact. 6, 12, 38; 6, 13, 4; 6, 24, 4: scelus, Vulg. Lev. 20, 12: miracula, Ambros. in Luc. 4, § 47.
          2. (β) To work, produce by working, cause: in vobis sollicitudinem, Vulg. 2 Cor. 7, 11: mortem, id. ib. 7, 10: gloriae pondus, id. ib. 4, 17: opera, id. Joan. 9, 4.
            Hence,
    1. A. ŏpĕrans, antis, P. a., active, efficient, effectual (post-Aug.): operantes apes spectare, Plin. 21, 14, 47, § 80.
      Comp.: bonitas operantior, Tert. adv. Marc. 2, 4.
      Neutr. adv.: aridas vaporationes operantius mederi quam cataplasmata, Cael. Aur. Acut. 3, 8, 89.
      Sup.: clysteres adhibere operantissimos, Cael. Aur. Acut. 2, 39.
    2. B. ŏpĕrātus, a, um, P. a.
      1. 1. Pass., performed, effected (eccl. Lat.): tot charismata perperam operata, Tert. Praescr. 29.
      2. 2. Act., efficacious, effective: fallaciae vis operatior, Tert. Anim. 57.