Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

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.