Home UK English opening

Meaning of opening in English:

opening

Pronunciation /ˈəʊp(ə)nɪŋ/

See synonyms for opening

Translate opening into Spanish

noun

  • 1A space or gap that allows passage or access.

    ‘an opening in the roof would get rid of the smoke’
    • ‘She brought Ross in on the project, and he designed the slightly conical space with window openings positioned in relation to astronomical movements.’
    • ‘Above all, the female body was assumed to be moulded, enclosed: all openings sealed, all passage denied.’
    • ‘This was the opening of the secret passage leading to her own room on the third floor.’
    • ‘This moist, cool, and heavy air then falls down the shafts and into the living spaces through the door openings at the bottom.’
    • ‘Place windows and openings along the sidewalk.’
    • ‘He was just standing there, in the small space at the small opening by my room.’
    • ‘Just as an opening in traffic came along she was knocked in the shoulder roughly by a passer by.’
    • ‘It also plays a crucial symbolic role merely through its function as an opening for the passage of light.’
    • ‘He stops and stares, obviously stunned at seeing the opening of the hidden passage.’
    • ‘The garden will also have two new openings to give greater access to the precinct and act as a walkway between Pickwick Road South and the extended supermarket.’
    • ‘Inside a group could gather, it would be comfortable for two and you could see the stars through the round opening in the roof.’
    • ‘Original internal features include the kilns, low ceiling heights between floors, steeping tanks and shutter mechanisms for window openings.’
    • ‘At the time, the mill building was an empty shell stripped back to its stone walls and with the window openings blocked over with corrugated iron.’
    • ‘After a certain amount of toing and froing with the national park, we agreed on sandstone for the new window openings.’
    • ‘Think of a fly trying to get out of a window with a narrow opening.’
    • ‘I throw myself out the opening and sprint along the min-corridor into the main room again.’
    • ‘Construction is of rendered rubble walls, with brick features around window and door openings, brick quoins and a pitched slated roof.’
    • ‘The ground floor needs 14 window openings made with sandstone surrounds.’
    • ‘Contractors differ on the methods they use to determine the location of roof and ceiling openings in homes with attics or crawl spaces.’
    • ‘It is clad entirely in shiny corrugated metal - even window openings have perforated metal outer skins.’
    hole, gap, aperture, space, orifice, vent, slot, window, crack, slit, gash, split, fissure, perforation, cleft, crevice, cut, incision, rent, cavity, cranny, groove, chink, eye, mouth
    doorway, gateway, portal, way, entrance, entry, entryway, means of entry, way in, entrée, access, means of access, exit, egress, way out
    View synonyms

  • 2A beginning; an initial part.

    ‘Maya started tapping out the opening of her story’
    • ‘Good openings might include a story, a camper situation that they might have to deal with, a staff!’
    • ‘During the big pauses between each of the short, sobbing phrases at the opening of the Tristan prelude, you could have heard a pin drop.’
    • ‘Its slowburning choppy intro starts like the opening to a Jewish hymn, before the entire band bursts into a kaleidoscopic sound addiction.’
    • ‘But everything you pointed out in the opening is exactly what's taking place in the city.’
    • ‘Immediately Ron launched into the opening of ‘This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us’.’
    • ‘I remember at school when I was set homework assignments for English and we had to write about a page of writing for openings of horror stories.’
    • ‘Also, the opening to the story wasn't written by either me or my friend.’
    • ‘The opening and title story makes it very clear that every word counts, and must be weighed for meaning, both obvious and hidden.’
    • ‘My old habits took over and I started my usual openings with small talk.’
    • ‘Let me quote a short part of his guessing-game, prefaced by his usual opening.’
    • ‘This proposition was most overtly put in the arrangement of the opening of The Dawn of Photography.’
    • ‘The morning news speaks of battlefield deaths and capture, reminding us that easy, unopposed openings do not tell the complete story of a war.’
    beginning, start, outset, inception, launch, birth, dawn
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    1. 2.1A ceremony or celebratory gathering at which a building, show, etc. is declared to be open.
      ‘I covered the opening of a new computerized diagnosis unit’
      • ‘Children at the Morden school had double cause for celebration with the opening of a building extension on Wednesday.’
      • ‘They can't really celebrate the opening of the building without the architect.’
      • ‘Large crowds were gathered to celebrate the opening of a new sewage plant, another step along the road of reconstruction.’
      • ‘Recently a number of people gathered together for a ceremony for the opening of ‘the gate’.’
      • ‘A pageant of pupils celebrated their school's history as they welcomed the opening of its new building.’
      • ‘The Upper Eden Cycling Club turned out in force to celebrate the opening of the centre and following the ceremony headed off to Hawes for a round cycle route.’
      • ‘Nine staff members celebrated the opening by cutting a ribbon and cracking open a bottle of champagne.’
      • ‘Those with the stamina could join in the colloquium of sages held every morning or tour the art exhibitions and special openings of historic buildings in half a dozen sites around the city.’
      • ‘After the ceremonial opening, a hymn should be read from the Guru Granth Sahib.’
      • ‘Working with a gallery also provides opportunities for shows, openings, announcements and newspaper or magazine articles.’
      • ‘A double opening will offer new paintings by Aaron Hill entitled Inheritance.’
      • ‘From crips autumn apples to hot Broadway openings, the season offers treats for every taste.’
      • ‘Minister McCreevy said that the opening of the centre would provide an opportunity for the people of Athy to look forward.’
      • ‘One of the most lavish official openings in recent times took place last Saturday when the new Golden Meadows Retirement Village was completed and is now available for business.’
      • ‘Friday saw the official opening of Co-operative Bulk Handling's facility upgrade at Northampton.’
      • ‘The official opening will take place on Tuesday 16 and the library will be open to the public on Thursday 18.’
      • ‘Minister of State Martin Cullen unveiled a wall plaque in the foyer of the new Employment Centre to mark its official opening.’
      • ‘The official opening of the centre will be held next September.’
      • ‘Anyway, I agreed to have the work ready for the opening of the Autumn Show in September.’
      • ‘A dozen talented children from all over the Stratford area are making ready for the opening of a new musical, Alice!’
      opening ceremony, official opening, launch, initiation, inauguration, institution, foundation, establishment, setting up, formation, constitution, opening night, premiere, first night, first showing
      View synonyms
    2. 2.2Chess A recognized sequence of moves at the beginning of a game.
      ‘The idea is that one can play this opening without having to memorize a great number of lines.’
      • ‘Because this opening is a mainstay in the repertoires of tens of thousands of amateurs.’
      • ‘If you are looking for an offbeat new opening, this book may be the answer to your dreams.’
      • ‘He also did a credible job of outlining the main ideas of this opening in the introduction.’
      • ‘In 2000 I earned an expert's rating by playing aggressive chess openings.’
    3. 2.3A counsel's preliminary statement of a case in a law court.
      ‘There had been an opening made by senior counsel for the appellant which disclosed certain aspects of the defence case.’
      • ‘It was, however, mentioned in the opening of counsel for Wang.’
      • ‘Of course, so it had been, in the passage of the pleadings to which I took your Honours in my opening.’
      • ‘The jury was empanelled, and counsel for the Crown began his opening, which was not completed on the first day.’
      • ‘There were to be full oral openings by all parties projected to occupy four weeks at the start of the trial.’
      introduction, preamble, opening, opening remarks, prefatory remarks, formalities
      View synonyms

  • 3An opportunity to achieve something.

    ‘they seem to have exploited fully the openings offered’
    • ‘Entrepreneurs with an eye for opportunities have seized on openings offered by the JFPM to create their own niche markets in the complex.’
    • ‘They haven't had many openings that are this opportune for them, and so they're naturally taking it, and you know, one can't blame them, that's politics.’
    • ‘You and Gabrielle can see opportunities and openings that we can't, and you're both fast enough to take them.’
    • ‘So it's almost like there is an opening, an opportunity, to communicate with the spirit world.’
    • ‘Do you get the sense that this newfound attention towards Canadian bands in the States has also offered any openings towards hip-hop artists like yourself?’
    • ‘Once one learns to become unpredictable, all kinds of openings and opportunities present themselves.’
    • ‘The prices being paid for existing businesses and the rents being offered for new openings are in many cases unsustainable.’
    • ‘Don't close the door on the majority of the openings and career opportunities that are out there.’
    • ‘Yet the opening to the West offered by the EU could bring huge economic benefits to Iran.’
    • ‘A top forty single would fit the bill nicely, and would offer openings into all kinds of other stuff - most notably magickal stuff.’
    • ‘The circulating libraries offered new openings for sales, and the rising success of periodicals provided more work until well into the 20th cent.’
    • ‘The transitions to democracy and the openings they appeared to offer were another source.’
    • ‘As of late she hadn't spoken about Casey; and I haven't offered her an opening to do so.’
    • ‘Karl stood and put both hands on the table, realizing Sara had created the opening for his offer.’
    • ‘Both these openings offer defense against a German strike into Munich and the easy opportunity to pick up both Iberian supply centers in 1901.’
    • ‘He had spotted that when Louis threw his left jab, he tended to drop his guard, leaving an opening that might be exploited.’
    • ‘Active travel between life's new stages creates new openings, new chances.’
    • ‘It may be an ideal opening for someone who has never had an opportunity to try out for the small screen but would love to find out more.’
    • ‘It is my opinion that Hashem uses every possible opening to allow the world to love Him.’
    • ‘But he almost never treats it at face value, preferring to allow interpretive openings into this method of interpretation.’
    opportunity, chance, favourable moment, favourable occasion, favourable time, right set of circumstances, moment, occasion, window, window of opportunity, possibility, turn, time
    View synonyms
    1. 3.1An available job.
      ‘there are few openings for the ex-footballer’
      • ‘There were no professional openings available to me in Scotland at the time.’
      • ‘Todd Brun has put together a list of faculty openings and postdoctoral positions available in quantum information processing.’
      • ‘The cost of a public school and university education was high for middle-class families, and there was increased competition for available openings in the professions.’
      • ‘Most chains advertise the available openings in newspapers.’
      • ‘Local students or students not requiring travel assistance can apply for the Volunteer Program if openings are available.’
      • ‘Chiu said the remaining 7,828 openings are available to young men aged between 18 and 27.’
      • ‘There are many good openings available, and relatively few bad ones.’
      • ‘The following tips might help bridge the gap IL between available workers and job openings.’
      • ‘I was hired because those most concerned wanted a vigorous lecturer to fill the available opening.’
      • ‘When an opening became available on his staff, Foster offered Williams a job as assistant coach.’
      • ‘Fortunately, an opening became available in the employer's parts department and he was afforded that job.’
      • ‘The good press, usually driven by the local population, hails new job openings and increased availability of a multitude of products at affordable prices.’
      • ‘In a nutshell, students can post their resumes on the system and employers can post job openings.’
      • ‘It is the construction industry which has openings for professional and graduate level entrants, from engineers to architects to craft roles, such as building and painting and decorating.’
      • ‘The site contains listings for job openings that have been posted with the country's federal labour office and are linked to job exchanges.’
      • ‘I am writing to enquire for any possible openings in your firm.’
      • ‘Our behind the scenes volunteer staff is pretty full right now, but there is always a chance that an opening will arrive.’
      • ‘What jobs seem to have the most openings in your area?’
      • ‘I'll be looking for new openings eventually, and will start ramping up my freelancing as of today.’
      • ‘Yes, there is life even after retirement with plenty of openings in ship building industry and shipping lines.’
      vacancy, position, job, opportunity
      View synonyms

adjective

attributive

  • Coming at the beginning of something; initial.

    ‘she stole the show with her opening remark’
    • ‘They also contested the opening match of the inaugural Asian test championship at Calcutta.’
    • ‘In my opening remarks at the beginning of the hearing I drew attention to this.’
    • ‘He justified his inclusion on the British Lions tour of Australia in the summer, scoring a try in the opening test match in Adelaide which the Lions won.’
    • ‘The competition commenced on the eve of India's opening match against Holland.’
    • ‘The fact that he was chosen at centre fort Ireland's opening match down under highlights his all-round ability.’
    • ‘Newbridge shared the points with North Kildare in this opening league match of the season, played at Rosetown.’
    • ‘Not that endless hours of blissful slumber prevented him nodding off during his team's opening match against Japan on Tuesday.’
    • ‘It is just reward for two years of hard work for Handley, who was disappointed to be left out of the side for Britain's opening two matches.’
    • ‘A giant screen would be in place to telecast India's opening match with Holland.’
    • ‘Fans had packed pubs across the district, turning them into a sea of red and white shirts and St George's flags to watch England's opening match.’
    • ‘A number of myths are likely to have been dispelled almost as soon as Friday's opening match between France and Senegal has been completed.’
    • ‘Indeed, they might have won the league too but for losing their opening two matches and then going the remainder of the trip undefeated.’
    • ‘The opening exchanges were evenly matched but the visitor eventually made the breakthrough on 25 minutes.’
    • ‘The home side started brightly and they did have the visitors defence under real pressure during the opening minutes of the match.’
    • ‘The remaining places in the main draw will be filled through the qualifying matches on the opening three days of the competition.’
    • ‘The opening match was a lesson that will be recorded in World Cup history; everyone has learned something.’
    • ‘He hinted that his team could take both matches on the opening day but he said that he would not let his players be pressured by overly high hopes.’
    • ‘More than 140 attendees observed the opening remarks, made in a spacious conference centre.’
    • ‘The sides were evenly matched for the opening thirty minutes with the winners only having a three point lead at the interval.’
    • ‘He may have been high and wide with the free but he knew how to find the back of the net for the opening goal of the match less than sixty seconds later.’