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diva

  (') pronunciation
n., pl. -vas or -ve (-vā).
  1. An operatic prima donna.
  2. A very successful singer of nonoperatic music: a jazz diva.

[Italian, from Latin dīva, goddess, feminine of dīvus, god.]


 
 
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n. - A distinguished female operatic singer.

Tutor's tip: You would not expect a "diva" (an opera singer, usually quite temperamental) to "dive" (a rapid descent) into the audience like a rock star.

 
WordNet: diva
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a distinguished female operatic singer; a female operatic star
  Synonym: prima donna


 
Wikipedia: diva

A diva is a great female opera singer, a prima donna. However the term now is also used to refer an outstanding popular female performer of non-operatic works.

The term was originally used to describe a woman of rare, outstanding talent. It derives from an Italian word, divina meaning "divine" (feminine form), which, in turn derives from the feminine form of a Latin word divus/diva, meaning "divine one." TIME magazine observed in its October 21, 2002, issue: "By definition, a diva was originally used for great female opera singers, almost always sopranos." In mythology, the divas are the lowest forms of divinity, such as the wood nymphs[citation needed].

In ballet the equivalent of a diva is known as a prima ballerina assoluta.

Negative Connotation

The term often is used with a negative connotation. This derives from the implication that a star who is a "diva" is arrogant, difficult to work with, high-maintenance, manipulative, fussy, high-strung, and/or demanding. Professional actors often use this term to describe someone who desires the stage spotlight over others.

The term "prima donna" has similarly entered common usage with exactly the same negative meaning.

Professional Wrestling

The term Diva is also often used in World Wrestling Entertainment to describe its female performers. This includes both performers who are "eye candy" and those possessing quality in-ring skills.

See also


 
Translations: Translations for: Diva

Dansk (Danish)
n. - primadonna

Nederlands (Dutch)
diva (beroemde zangeres)

Français (French)
n. - diva, grande cantatrice

Deutsch (German)
n. - Primadonna

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ντίβα

Italiano (Italian)
diva

Português (Portuguese)
n. - diva (f)

Русский (Russian)
оперная примадонна

Español (Spanish)
n. - diva

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - diva

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
歌剧中的女主角

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 歌劇中的女主角

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 주연 여가수

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 大女性歌手, プリマドンナ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مغنيه شهيرة أو عظيمه وبخاصه في الأوبرا‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮פרימדונה, זמרת ראשית, דיווה‬


 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved.
eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Diva" Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

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