opening.
Pertaining to the start or beginning of a series of events.
Meaning & usage
Pertaining to the start or beginning of a series of events.
The opening theme of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is, perhaps, the most recognizable in all of European art music.
The opening act of the battle for Fort Sumter was the firing of a single 10-inch mortar round from Fort Johnson at 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, by Lt. Henry S. Farley, who acted upon the command of Capt. George S. James, which round exploded over Fort Sumter as a signal to open the general bombardment from 43 guns and mortars at Fort Moultrie, Fort Johnson, the floating battery, and Cummings Point.
Of the first period of play, usually up to the fall of the first wicket.
Of the batsman who opens the innings or of a bowler who opens the attack.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English openynge, openande, openand, from Old English openiende, from Proto-West Germanic *opanōndī, from Proto-Germanic *upanōndz, present participle of *upanōną (“to open”), equivalent to open + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian iepenjend, Dutch openend, German öffnend, Swedish öppnande, Icelandic opnandi.
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.
An act or instance of beginning.
There have been few factory and store openings in the US lately.
Something that is a beginning. The first performance of a show or play by a particular troupe.
Something that is a beginning. The initial period when an art exhibition, fashion show, etc. is first opened, especially the first evening.
Something that is a beginning. The first few measures of a musical composition.
Something that is a beginning. The first few moves in a game.
John spends two hours a day studying chess openings, and another two hours studying endgames.
Something that is a beginning. The initial movement in a market when it opens.
A vacant position, especially in an array.
Are there likely to be any openings on the Supreme Court in the next four years?
A vacant position, especially in an array. A time available in a schedule.
A vacant position, especially in an array. An unoccupied employment position.
An opportunity, as in a competitive activity.
In mathematical morphology, the dilation of the erosion of a set.
Where this word comes from
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”).
present participle and gerund of open
Where this word comes from
From Middle English openynge, openande, openand, from Old English openiende, from Proto-West Germanic *opanōndī, from Proto-Germanic *upanōndz, present participle of *upanōną (“to open”), equivalent to open + -ing. Cognate with West Frisian iepenjend, Dutch openend, German öffnend, Swedish öppnande, Icelandic opnandi.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.