operetta
[ op-uh-ret-uh ]
/ ˌɒp əˈrɛt ə /
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noun
a short opera, usually of a light and amusing character.
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Origin of operetta
1760–70; <Italian, diminutive of operaopera1
OTHER WORDS FROM operetta
op·er·et·tist, nounWords nearby operetta
opercle, operculate, operculitis, operculum, opere citato, operetta, operon, operose, opgefok, Ophelia, Opheltes
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for operetta
British Dictionary definitions for operetta
operetta
/ (ˌɒpəˈrɛtə) /
noun
a type of comic or light-hearted opera
Derived forms of operetta
operettist, nounWord Origin for operetta
C18: from Italian: a small opera 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for operetta
operetta
Comic or lighthearted operas of the kind written by Gilbert and Sullivan. Operettas generally have a substantial amount of spoken (not sung) dialogue.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.