opening
nounEtymology From Middle English openyng, openynge, openunge, from Old English openung (“an opening”), from Proto-West Germanic *opanungu, from Proto-Germanic *upanungō (“an opening”), equivalent to open + -ing. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Eepenge, Epenge (“an opening”), West Frisian iepening (“an opening”), Dutch opening (“an opening”), German Öffnung (“an opening”), Danish åbning (“an opening”), Swedish öppning (“an opening”).
12 senses
- 1An act or instance of making or becoming open.
- 2A gap permitting passage through.
- 3An act or instance of beginning.
- 4The first performance of a show or play by a particular troupe.
- 5The initial period when an art exhibition, fashion show…
- 6The first few measures of a musical composition.
- 7The first few moves in a game.
- 8A vacant position, especially in an array.
- 9A time available in a schedule.
- 10An unoccupied employment position.
- 11An opportunity, as in a competitive activity.
- 12In mathematical morphology, the dilation of the erosion of a set.
An act or instance of making or becoming open.
- The daily openings of the day lily bloom gives it its name.
- He remembered fondly the Christmas morning opening of presents.
A gap permitting passage through.
- A salamander darted out of an opening in the rocks.
- He slipped through an opening in the crowd.
2 more examples
- He held that great exactness in craniotopography is unnecessary, all that is needed being to make a sufficiently large opening.1894, George Frederick Shrady, Thomas Lathrop Stedman, Medical Record, volume 45, page 569:
- Specialised long-reach excavators with a clamshell grab then reach though the openings to lift the spoil to the surface, which is then deposited in articulated dump trucks (ADTs).2023 March 8, Chris Howe, “Building the platform for Old Oak Common's platforms”, in RAIL, number 978, page 60:
An act or instance of beginning.
- There have been few factory and store openings in the US lately.
- Their opening of the concert with Brass in Pocket always fires up the crowd.
› Something that is a beginning.
The first performance of a show or play by a particular troupe.
- They were disappointed at the turnout for their opening, but hoped that word would spread.
The initial period when an art exhibition, fashion show, etc. is first opened, especially the first evening.
- The French openings decided that satin gowns, suits, wraps and even hats were to be in first fashion this autumn.1916 September 11, Anne Rittenhouse, “Dress: One-piece Frocks of Satin in Neutral Colors, With Bits of Colored Embroidery”, in The Journal and Tribune, volume 30, number 235, Knoxville, Tenn., page 6:
The first few measures of a musical composition.
The first few moves in a game.
- John spends two hours a day studying chess openings, and another two hours studying endgames.
A vacant position, especially in an array.
- Are there likely to be any openings on the Supreme Court in the next four years?
A time available in a schedule.
- If you'd like to make a booking with us, we have an opening at twelve o'clock.
- The only two-hour openings for the hockey rink are between 1AM and 5AM.
An unoccupied employment position.
- We have an opening in our marketing department.
An opportunity, as in a competitive activity.
- The Reds carved the first opening of the second period as Glen Johnson's pull-back found David Ngog but the Frenchman hooked wide from six yards.2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton”, in BBC:
Mathematics, Sciences In mathematical morphology, the dilation of the erosion of a set.
- Synonyms
- hole, gap, crevice, interspace, availability, slot, job opening
- Derived terms
44 terms
Amar Opening, Barnes Opening, Bishop's Opening, counteropening, Double King's Pawn Opening, English Opening, eye-opening, grand opening, King's Pawn Opening, market opening, non-opening, nonopening, opening argument, opening batsman, opening book, opening ceremony, opening credits, opening day, opening fire, opening goal, Opening Government, opening gun, opening hours, opening move, opening night, opening of an envelope, Opening Opposition, opening speech, opening statement, opening time, opening titles, Portuguese Opening, potato opening, preopening, re-opening, re-re-opening, self-opening, soft opening, Spanish Opening, unopening, vaginal opening, Van't Kruijs Opening, vulvar opening, Ware Opening- Coordinate terms
- vernissage