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magnum opus

 
Dictionary: magnum opus

n.
  1. A great work, especially a literary or artistic masterpiece.
  2. The greatest single work of an artist, writer, or composer.

[Latin : magnum, neuter of magnus, great + opus, work.]


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Wordsmith Words:

magnum opus

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(MAG-num OH-puhs)
noun (plural magnum opuses or magna opera)
A great work of literature, music, art, etc., especially the finest work of an individual.

Etymology
From Latin magnum, neuter of magnus (large), opus (work)

Usage
"Bespectacled, bearded and balding, Mr. Chkhartishvili is faintly ill at ease about fame. For years, he earned his living translating Japanese literature and working on what he still considers his magnum opus, a gloomy book entitled 'The Writer and Suicide.' His idea of a good time is to stroll around a cemetery." — Guy Chazan; Roll Over, Dostoyevsky: Serious Russian Writers Reinvent the Thriller; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Feb 25, 2002.


Thesaurus:

magnum opus

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noun

    An outstanding and ingenious work: chef-d'oeuvre, masterpiece, masterwork. See good/bad.

Latin Phrase:

magnum opus

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A great undertaking; the great work of a man's life.

Wikipedia:

Magnum opus

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Magnum opus (sometimes opus magnum), the Latin for "great work" may refer to

as a title
  • Magnum Opus (album), an album by Yngwie J. Malmsteen
  • Magnum Opus, a song by The Gregorian Lounge-Chillout
  • Magnum Opus, a song by the rock band Kansas from their 1976 album, Leftoverture consisting of the following parts...
    • Father Padilla Meets The Perfect Gnat
    • Howling At The Moon
    • Man Overboard
    • Industry On Parade
    • Release The Beavers
    • Gnat Attack

See also

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Learn More
Magnum Opus/I Can't Wait (2003 Album by Yngwie Malmsteen)
Orwell on Jura the Crystal Spirit (1982 Drama Film)
René-Antoine Ferchault de Réaumur

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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 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wordsmith Words. © 2009 Wordsmith.org. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Latin Phrase. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Magnum opus" Read more

 

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