Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A man who sings comic opera roles.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The comic actor in an opera; a comic singer.
  • Comic: as, basso buffo. See bouffe and buffa.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Mus.) The comic actor in an opera.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun music A comic singer, particularly in comic opera

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Italian, from buffare, to puff, of imitative origin.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Italian buffo

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Examples

  • During this theatre season, the third edition of "Mistero buffo" is born (Palazzina

    Dario Fo - Biography 1998

  • Dante is the Emperor of Words, but the buffo is the Emperor of Deeds.

    Castellinaria and Other Sicilian Diversions Henry Festing Jones 1889

  • I mean here's a guy whose name on a marquis (ph) used to guarantee a buffo (ph) - I just said "buffo" (ph) - box office.

    CNN Transcript Apr 9, 2008 2008

  • But we scarcely believe a respectable audience would not patronize or encourage Negro buffo songs here.

    A Renegade History of the United States Thaddeus Russell 2010

  • Basses can be subdivided into the basso cantante ("singing bass"; Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra), the comic basso buffo (Don Pasquale), or the basso profondo ("deep bass"; Osmin in The Seraglio).

    Who's who: the different voices in opera 2011

  • Paolo Gavanelli, as the much put upon Geronio (above center), proves again that he is one of the world's great buffo baritones, delivering a spectacular display of parlando (Italian patter).

    Rodney Punt: A Turk in Italy Comes to Town in an Airstream Trailer Rodney Punt 2011

  • Watching Italy's PM Silvio Berlusconi, France's President Nicholas Sarkozy and other world leaders squirm with embarrassment walking next to Gaddafi decked out in flamboyant, clownish uniforms straight from an Italian "opera buffo" was always amusing.

    Eric Margolis: Gaddafi: The Fox Is Cornered Eric Margolis 2011

  • Paolo Gavanelli, as the much put upon Geronio (above center), proves again that he is one of the world's great buffo baritones, delivering a spectacular display of parlando (Italian patter).

    Rodney Punt: A Turk in Italy Comes to Town in an Airstream Trailer Rodney Punt 2011

  • Watching Italy's PM Silvio Berlusconi, France's President Nicholas Sarkozy and other world leaders squirm with embarrassment walking next to Gaddafi decked out in flamboyant, clownish uniforms straight from an Italian "opera buffo" was always amusing.

    Eric Margolis: Gaddafi: The Fox Is Cornered Eric Margolis 2011

  • The opera retains much of the film's dialogue while adding love music for Neruda and his wife, Matilde (Cristina Gallardo-Domas, who is Chilean, looking and sounding exquisite); a buffo-style tenor duet for Neruda and the simple postman Mario (Charles Castronovo), who gradually comes to worship him; and a couple of Neruda's poems, which make perfect arias.

    Domingo's tenor lifts respectable, but too literal, 'Il Postino' by Daniel Catán Anne Midgette 2010

Comments

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  • (n) opera singer with a comic part. pl. buffi

    (adj): comic, burlesque

    January 9, 2009