ENGLISH
REFERENCE

opening

n. · adj.
US //ˈoʊpənɪŋ// UK //ˈəʊpənɪŋ// open·ing
  1. 1 a gap or hole (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a hole or space that something can pass through.

    an aperture or gap that permits passage or visibility.

    Example

    The cat squeezed through a small opening in the garden fence.

    Example

    The climbers discovered a narrow opening in the rock face that led to a hidden cavern system.
  2. 2 the start of an event (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the beginning of a show, ceremony, or story.

    the initial part or commencement of a performance, event, or literary work.

    Example

    The opening of the new art gallery attracted hundreds of visitors.

    Example

    The novel's dramatic opening immediately establishes a sense of tension that persists throughout the first three chapters.
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  1. 3 a job vacancy (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a job that is available for someone to start.

    a vacant position or opportunity for employment within an organisation.

    Example

    The company has an opening for a junior designer in the marketing team.

    Example

    Although the firm is currently downsizing, they have kept one opening available for a specialist in international law.
  2. 4 mathematical morphology (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Math

    a specific way of changing a shape in computer math.

    the dilation of the erosion of a set, used to remove small objects or noise from an image.

    Example

    The engineer used an opening to clean up the digital image.

    Example

    Applying an opening to the binary image effectively eliminated the salt-and-pepper noise without significantly altering the larger structural components.
  3. 5 the first in a series (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    happening at the very beginning of something.

    pertaining to the start or first stage of a series of events or a period of time.

    Example

    The opening scene of the movie was filmed in London.

    Example

    The opening remarks of the conference set a collaborative tone for the subsequent panel discussions.
Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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”).

Idioms1 entry

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