opusculum
from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 22, 2007 is: opusculum • \oh-PUS-kyuh-lum\ • noun : a minor work (as of literature) Examples: The book is a collection of opuscula written by the author between his two major novels. Did you know? "Opusculum" -- which is often used in its plural form "opuscula" -- comes from Latin, where it serves as the diminutive form of the noun "opus," meaning "work." In English, "opus" can refer to any literary or artistic work, though it often specifically refers to a musical piece. Logically, then, "opusculum" refers to a short or minor work. ("Opusculum" isn't restricted to music, though. In fact, it is most often used for literary works.) The Latin plural of "opus" is "opera," which gave us (via Italian) the word we know for a musical production consisting primarily of vocal pieces performed with orchestral accompaniment. We can also thank "opus" for our verb "operate."
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