operate

operate
\ \ [17] Operate belongs to a small family of English words that trace their history back to Latin opus ‘work’, which may be related to Sanskrit ápas ‘work’, Old English afol ‘power’, and Latin ops ‘wealth’ (source of English copious, copy, and opulent [17]). Its most direct English descendant is of course opus [18] itself, which was originally adopted in the phrase magnum opus ‘great work’. Opera [17] goes back to the Latin plural, which came to be regarded as a feminine singular noun meaning ‘that which is produced by work’. Italian gave it its musical sense, and passed it on to English. Operate itself came from the past-participial stem of the derived Latin verb operārī ‘work’. It was originally used in English for ‘produce an effect’, and the transitive sense, as in ‘operate a machine’, did not emerge until as recently as the mid-19th century, in American English. The surgical sense is first recorded in the derivative operation [16] at the end of the 16th century.
\ \ Other English descendants of opus include cooperate [17] and manoeuvre.
\ \ Cf.⇒ COPIOUS, COPY, MANOEUVRE, OPERA, OPULENT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • operate — op‧e‧rate [ˈɒpəreɪt ǁ ˈɑː ] verb 1. [transitive] to use and control a machine or equipment: • the software necessary to operate the machine 2. [intransitive] MANUFACTURING if a machine, factory etc operates in a particular way, it works in that… …   Financial and business terms

  • Operate — Single by Peaches from the album Fatherfucker Released …   Wikipedia

  • Operate — Op er*ate, v. t. 1. To produce, as an effect; to cause. [1913 Webster] The same cause would operate a diminution of the value of stock. A. Hamilton. [1913 Webster] 2. To put into, or to continue in, operation or activity; to work; as, to operate… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • operate — I verb accomplish, achieve, act, act upon, administer, administrate, assume responsibility, attain, bring about, caretake, carry into execution, carry on, carry out, cause, command, conduct, control, deal with, direct, discharge, do, drive,… …   Law dictionary

  • operate — [v1] perform, function accomplish, achieve, act, act on, advance, behave, be in action, bend, benefit, bring about, burn, carry on, click*, compel, complete, concern, conduct, contact, contrive, convey, cook*, determine, direct, do, enforce,… …   New thesaurus

  • Operate — Op er*ate, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Operated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Operating}.] [L. operatus, p. p. of operari to work, fr. opus, operis, work, labor; akin to Skr. apas, and also to G. [ u]ben to exercise, OHG. uoben, Icel. [ae]fa. Cf. {Inure},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • operate — (v.) c.1600, to be in effect, from L. operari to work, labor (in L.L. to have effect, be active, cause ); see OPERATION (Cf. operation). Surgical sense is first attested 1799. Meaning to work machinery is from 1864 in Amer.Eng. Related: Operated; …   Etymology dictionary

  • operate — *act, behave, work, function, react …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • operate — has derivative forms operable (‘able to be operated on’, especially in medical contexts) and operator …   Modern English usage

  • operate — ► VERB 1) (of a machine, process, etc.) be in action; function. 2) control the functioning of (a machine or process). 3) (with reference to an organization) manage or be managed. 4) (of an armed force) conduct military activities. 5) be in effect …   English terms dictionary

  • operate — [äp′ər āt΄] vi. operated, operating [< L operatus, pp. of operari, to work < opus (gen. operis): see OPUS] 1. to be in action so as to produce an effect; act; function; work 2. to bring about a desired or appropriate effect; have a certain… …   English World dictionary

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