# opening

/ˈoʊpənɪŋ/ (US) · /ˈəʊpənɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/opening
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a gap or hole

noun · CEFR B1

a hole or space that something can pass through.

For teachers: an aperture or gap that permits passage or visibility.

- The cat squeezed through a small opening in the garden fence.
- The climbers discovered a narrow opening in the rock face that led to a hidden cavern system.

### 2. the start of an event

noun · CEFR B1

the beginning of a show, ceremony, or story.

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

- The opening of the new art gallery attracted hundreds of visitors.
- The novel's dramatic opening immediately establishes a sense of tension that persists throughout the first three chapters.

### 3. a job vacancy

noun · CEFR B2

a job that is available for someone to start.

For teachers: a vacant position or opportunity for employment within an organisation.

- The company has an opening for a junior designer in the marketing team.
- Although the firm is currently downsizing, they have kept one opening available for a specialist in international law.

### 4. mathematical morphology

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a specific way of changing a shape in computer math.

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

- The engineer used an opening to clean up the digital image.
- Applying an opening to the binary image effectively eliminated the salt-and-pepper noise without significantly altering the larger structural components.

### 5. the first in a series

adjective · CEFR B1

happening at the very beginning of something.

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

- The opening scene of the movie was filmed in London.
- The opening remarks of the conference set a collaborative tone for the subsequent panel discussions.

## Examples

- There is a small opening in the fence for the cat.
- The company has an opening for a junior designer and is currently accepting applications.
- The architect designed a narrow opening in the ceiling to allow a single beam of light to illuminate the altar at midday.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.