Lewis & Short

1. ŏpus, ĕris, n. [Sanscr. ap-as, work; whence apuas, gain; v. ops; cf. also Germ. üben].

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen., work, labor (cf.: labor, ars, opera): quod in opere faciundo operae consumis tuae, in doing your work, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 21: menses octo continuos opus hic non defuit, cum vas nullum fieret, nisi aureum, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 54: oratio in causarum contentionibus magnum est quoddam opus, atque haud sciam, an de humanisoperibus longe maximum, id. de Or. 2, 17, 71.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. Work, art, workmanship: naturā et opere munitus, Caes. B. G. 5, 21.
      2. 2. Of agricultural labor: opus faciam, ut defatiger usque, Ter. Eun. 2, 1, 14; Cic. Sen. 7, 24: grave Martis opus, Verg. A. 8, 515.
      3. 3. Of honey-making: foris pascuntur (apes), intus opus faciunt, Varr. R. R. 3, 16.
      4. 4. Of literary labor: (Graeci) opus quaerunt, seek employment, Cic. Tusc. 3, 34, 81; cf. Liv. 5, 3.
      5. 5. In mal. part., Plaut. As. 5, 2, 23.
  2. II. Transf., a work that has been done or made.
    1. A. A military work, either a defensive work, fortification, or a work of besiegers, a siege-engine, machine, etc.: nondum opere castrorum perfecto, Caes. B. C. 2, 26; so, opere perfecto, id. B. G. 1, 8; Nep. Them. 7, 1: Mutinam operibus munitionibusque saepsit, Cic. Phil. 13, 9, 20: operibus Toletum cepit, Liv. 35, 22; 37, 5.
    2. B. Any result of labor.
      1. 1. Of public works, esp. buildings: aedium sacrarum, publicorumque operum depopulatio, Cic. Verr. 1, 4, 12; Liv. 1, 56, 2; 1, 57, 1; Quint. 3, 11, 13: de exstruendis reficiendisve operibus, Suet. Tib. 30: opera, templum theatrumque, id. Calig. 21; cf. of an aqueduct, etc., id. Claud. 20: in titulis operum, in public inscriptions, id. ib. 41 fin.
      2. 2. Of writings, a work, book: habeo opus magnum in manibus, Cic. Ac. 1, 1, 3: an pangis aliquid Sophocleum? Fac opus appareat, id. Fam. 16, 18, 3: quod Homerus atque Vergilius operum suorum principiis faciunt, Quint. 4, 1, 34; 3, 6, 64; 10, 1, 83.
      3. 3. Of a work of art: quorum iste non opere delectabatur, sed pondere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 56, § 124: hydria Boëthi manu facta praeclaro opere, of admirable workmanship, id. ib. 2, 4, 14, § 32: haec omnia antiquo opere, id. ib. 2, 4, 21, § 46.
    3. C. In gen., a deed, action, performance, business: miserum’st opus, Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 2: ut si mures corroserint aliquid, quorum est opus hoc unum, monstrum putemus, Cic. Div. 2, 27, 59: opus meae hastae, Ov. M. 12, 112.
      For magno opere, tanto opere, quanto opere (and, joined in one word, magnopere, tantopere, quantopere), lit., with great, such, or what labor, v. h. vv.
    4. D. Esp. (eccl. Lat.).
      1. 1. A work of superhuman power, a miracle, Vulg. Joh. 5, 36; 7, 21; 14, 10.
      2. 2. Bona opera, = καλὰ ἔργα, good works, deeds wrought by grace, Cypr. Ep. 18, 2; Lact. 3, 9, 15; 6, 18, 9; Vulg. Matt. 5, 16.
  3. III. Transf., abstr. in nom. and acc., need, necessity; hence,
    1. A. Opus est, it is needful, wanting; there is need of, use for: opus est mihi, tibi, etc., I (thou, etc.) have need of, need, want. It is contrasted with necesse est: emas non quod opus est, sed quod necesse est. Quod non opus est, asse carum est, Cato ap. Sen. Ep. 94, 28. Also with indigere: ait (Chrysippus) sapien. tem nullā re indigere, et tamen multis illi rebus opus esse, contra stulto nullā re opus est, nullā re enim uti scit, sed omnibus eget, Sen. Ep. 9, 12. The person who needs any thing is put in the dat., and the thing needed in the nom. or abl. (prop. abl. instrum.: opus est mihi, I have work with, i. e. I need), rarely in the gen., acc., inf., acc. and inf., or with ut.
          1. (α) With the nom. of the thing needed as subject: materiem, et quae opus sunt, dominus praebebit, Cato, R. R. 14, 3: minus multi opus sunt boves, Varr. R. R. 1, 18, 4: maritumi milites opus sunt tibi, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 61: dux nobis et auctor opus est, Cic. Fam. 2, 6, 1: hujus nobis exempla permulta opus sunt, id. Inv. 2, 19, 57: ullā in re, quod ad valetudinem opus sit, id. Fam. 16, 4, 2: si quid opus erit in sumptum, id. Att. 5, 8, 2: parari, quae ad transitum Hellesponti opus essent, Liv. 37, 18, 10: quae curando vulneri opus sunt, id. 1, 41, 1; cf.: ferociora utraque quam quietis opus est consiliis, id. 30, 30, 11; cf. with esse: nil sibi divitias opus esse, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 17, 2, 15.
          2. (β) With abl.: magistratibus opus est, there is need of, they are needed, Cic. Leg. 3, 2, 5: viro et gubernatore opus est, Liv. 24, 8: opus est auctoritate tuā, Cic. Fam. 9, 25, 3: non longis opus est ambagibus, Ov. M. 4, 475: nunc opus est leviore lyrā, id. ib. 10, 152.
            With pers. subj. (very rare): responderunt regem discordiis opus esse, Just. 11, 7, 10.
            So with abl. of the part. perf.: maturato opus est, there is need of haste, it is necessary to act speedily, Liv. 8, 13; cf.: erat nihil cur properato opus esset, of haste, Cic. Mil. 19, 49 (cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 464, A, 1).
            With abl. of the sup.: ita dictu opus est, it is necessary to say, I must say. Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 68: quod scitu opus est, Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 28.
          3. (γ) With gen.: ad consilium pensandum temporis opus esse, Liv. 22, 51: quanti argenti opus fuit, id. 23, 31.
          4. (δ) With acc. (ante-class.): puero opus est cibum, Plaut. Truc. 5, 10; 1, 1, 71: opus est modium unum (calcis), Cato, R. R. 15.
            (ε) With inf.: quid opus est de Dionysio tam valde affirmare? Cic. Att. 7, 8, 1.
            Ellipt.: quid opus est plura? (sc. proferre), Cic. Sen. 1, 3.
            (ζ) With acc. and inf.: nunc opus est te animo valere, Cic. Fam. 16, 4, 2.
            (η) With ut: opus nutrici autem, utrem ut habeat veteris vini largiter, Plaut. Truc. 5, 11; Tac. Dial. 31 init.; Vulg. Johan. 2, 25; 16, 30.
            (θ) With subj. alone: non est opus affingas aliquid, Plin. Ep. 9, 33, 11.
            (ι) Absol.: sic opus est, Ov. M. 1, 279.
      1. 2. Sometimes opus est is employed without the notion of strict necessity, as i. q. expedit, juvat, conducit, it is good, useful, serviceable, beneficial: atque haud sciam, an ne opus sit quidem, nihil umquam omnino deesse amicis, Cic. Lael. 14, 51; id. Off. 3, 11, 49; id. ib. 3, 32, 114; Hor. S. 1, 9, 27; 2, 6, 116.
    2. B. Opus habere, to have need of (very rare); with abl., Col. 9, 1, 5: opus habere ut, Ambros. de Fide, 5, 17, 213; cf.: non dicimus opus habeo, sed opus est mihi, Diom. 301 P.