Crossword Genius

It may be a soap works (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

opera

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'works' is the definition.
('opera' is an alternative plural of 'opus')

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for opera that I've seen before include "Stage entertainment" , "Carmen, for example" , "art form" , "eg Otello" , "Fidelio for instance" .)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian and The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.