ŏpĕrōsus, a, um, adj. [opera].
I Taking great pains , painstaking , active , busy , industrious , laborious (class.; syn.: laboriosus, industrius): senectus, opp. to languida atque iners, Cic. Sen. 8, 26: colonus, Ov. Nux, 57: cultibus ambae, id. Am. 2, 10, 5. —Poet. with Gr. acc.: Cynthia non operosa comas (al. comis), Prop. 5, 8, 52.—Poet. with gen.: vates operose dierum, in regard to , Ov. F. 1, 101.— Sup. : Syria in hortis operosissima, exceedingly industrious in gardening , Plin. 20, 5, 16, § 33.—
B Transf., of a medicine, active , efficacious , powerful , drastic (poet.): herbae, Ov. M. 14, 22.—
II That costs much trouble , troublesome , toilsome , laborious , difficult , elaborate (syn. difficilis): labor operosus et molestus, Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 59: artes, handicrafts , id. Off. 2, 5, 17: opus, id. Q. Fr. 2, 14, 1: res, Liv. 4, 8: templa, costly , sumptuous , Ov. M. 15, 667: moles mundi, the artfully constructed fabric of the universe , id. ib. 1, 258: castaneae cibo, hard to digest , Plin. 15, 23, 25, § 93: carmina, elaborate , Hor. C. 4, 2, 31.— Comp. : ne quis sepulcrum faceret operosius, quam quod decem homines effecerint triduo, Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 64: divitiae operosiores, Hor. C. 3, 1, 48; 3, 12, 5.—Hence, adv.: ŏpĕrōsē .
A Lit., with great labor or pains , laboriously , carefully (class.): nec flat operose, Cic. Or. 44, 149: vina condita, Ov. F. 5, 269.— Comp. : dicemus operosius, more precisely , Plin. 18, 26, 65, § 238.—
B Transf., exactly , accurately (post-Aug.): dicemus mox paulo operosius, Plin. 18, 26, 65, § 238.