Definitions

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

  • noun The act or an instance of becoming open or being made to open.
  • noun A gap, breach, or aperture.
  • noun A clearing in the woods.
  • noun The first part or stage, as of a book.
  • noun The first performance.
  • noun A formal commencement of operation.
  • noun A specific pattern or series of beginning moves in certain games, especially chess.
  • noun An opportunity affording a chance of success. synonym: opportunity.
  • noun An unfilled job or position; a vacancy.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of making open, in any sense of the verb open.
  • noun A beginning; an initial stage; commencement: as, the opening of a poem; also, dawn; first appearance.
  • noun A breach or gap; a hole or perforation; an aperture; specifically, in architecture, an unfilled part in a wall left for the purpose of admitting light, air, etc.
  • noun An open or clear space affording approach, entrance, or passage; an entrance.
  • noun A clear, unobstructed, or unoccupied space or place; specifically, in the United States, a tract over which there is a deficiency of forest, trees being not entirely wanting, but thinly scattered over the surface as compared with their abundance in an adjacent region.
  • noun A widening out of a crevice, in consequence of a softening or decomposition of the adjacent rock, which may still remain partly or wholly in its original position, or may have been entirely removed, so as to leave a vacant space of considerable width.
  • noun An unoccupied place, position, course of action, business, etc., which may be entered, or the opportunity of entering it; a vacancy; an opportunity; a chance.
  • noun In law, the statement of the case made by counsel to the court or jury preliminary to adducing evidence: as, the opening for the plaintiff; the opening for the defendant.
  • noun In chess-playing, a mode of commencing a game; specifically, one of the numerous series of consecutive moves made at starting which are frequently played and which have been thoroughly investigated by chess analysts.

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

  • noun The act or process of opening; a beginning; commencement; first appearance.
  • noun A place which is open; a breach; an aperture; a gap; cleft, or hole.
  • noun colloq. An opportunity.
  • noun A vacant place; a job which does not have a current occupant.
  • noun U.S. A thinly wooded space, without undergrowth, in the midst of a forest; a clearing.

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

  • verb Present participle of open.
  • noun An act or instance of making or becoming open.
  • noun Something that is open.
  • noun An act or instance of beginning.
  • noun Something that is a beginning.
  • noun A vacant position, especially in an array.
  • noun An opportunity, as in a competitive activity.
  • adjective cricket describing the first period of play, usually up to the fall of the first wicket; describing a batsman who opens the innings or a bowler who opens the attack

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a recognized sequence of moves at the beginning of a game of chess
  • noun the initial part of the introduction
  • noun an entrance equipped with a hatch; especially a passageway between decks of a ship
  • noun the first of a series of actions
  • noun the first performance (as of a theatrical production)
  • noun an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity
  • noun a ceremony accompanying the start of some enterprise
  • noun opportunity especially for employment or promotion
  • noun the act of opening something
  • noun a possible alternative
  • noun an open or empty space in or between things
  • noun a vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made
  • noun becoming open or being made open
  • adjective first or beginning

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Englert says the Palace's delay in opening is completely unrelated.

    Red Palace opening delayed until at least early November David Malitz 2010

  • Once illness came on and the term opening, found no money on hand with which to commence; but nothing daunted, a job of work was sought; a garden was found in which he worked hard two and a half hours before and after school at ten cents an hour.

    Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising 1887

  • "Retailers are focusing more on what we term opening - to mid-price points as shoppers of every description are gravitating to the big box outlets," Schwartz told the conference.

    Winnipeg Sun 2009

  • I used to inspect homes in a previous career and it never bothered me except for the ones where the opening is a trap door and all grandma would have to do is kick it down and slide the fridge over it and you would be trapped.

    Some things that creep me the fuck out Tyler 2009

  • In rare cases, the opening is at the back of the firebox, however this is not as efficient as the former for removing the smoke from the firebox and preventing the smoke from entering the room.

    Care and maintenance of the fireplace 2008

  • In rare cases, the opening is at the back of the firebox, however this is not as efficient as the former for removing the smoke from the firebox and preventing the smoke from entering the room.

    Care and maintenance of the fireplace 2008

  • 'Ladies and gentlemen,' US District Judge Alva Keyes intoned as he eyed the jury, 'we begin the trial with what we call opening statements by the attorneys.

    The Concrete Blonde Connelly, Michael, 1956- 1994

  • 'Ladies and gentlemen,' US District Judge Alva Keyes intoned as he eyed the jury, 'we begin the trial with what we call opening statements by the attorneys.

    The Concrete Blond Connelly, Michael, 1956- 1994

  • In many ways the Lorca case symbolises Spain's attempts to deal with its painful past, with many, especially conservative groups, opposed to what they call opening up old wounds.

    unknown title 2008

  • This battery can be charged, though a cycle opening is not great in a charge-discharge cycle over a arrangement of lithium dendrites, causing inner short-circuit a BATCL50L battery, under normal circumstances a battery Management is prohibited.

    Archive 2009-12-01 admin 2009

Comments

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  • In chess, the moves you play at the beginning of the game. See "Modern Chess Openings", MCO, or the "Encyclopedia of Chess Openings", ECO, to learn them.

    February 21, 2007