opening

/ˈoʊp(ə)nɪŋ/

/ˈʌʊpənɪŋ/

Other forms: openings

An opening is an empty space. That opening in the back of your closet might lead to a secret room. A job opening, on the other hand, is an available job that could open you up to an entirely new career.

There are openings in crowds you can slip through if you're in a hurry, and openings, or availabilities, in classes you really want to take. You can also use this versatile noun to mean the very first performance of a play or the initial night of an art show. Many things that come first are openings, in fact, like the opening move in a chess game or the opening scene of your novel.

Definitions of opening

1. noun

   an open or empty space in or between things
   “there was a small opening between the trees”

   synonyms: gap

   types:

   pocket

   an opening at the corner or on the side of a billiard table into which billiard balls are struck

   diastema

   a gap or vacant space between two teeth

   Ranvier's nodes, nodes of Ranvier

   small gaps in the myelin sheath of medullated axons

   foramen, hiatus

   a natural opening or perforation through a bone or a membranous structure

   breach

   an opening (especially a gap in a dike or fortification)

   chasm

   a deep opening in the earth's surface

   cleft, crack, crevice, fissure, scissure

   a long narrow opening

   hole

   an opening into or through something

   mouth

   an opening that resembles a mouth (as of a cave or a gorge)

   rift

   a gap between cloud masses

   rent, rip, snag, split, tear

   an opening made forcibly as by pulling apart

   window

   an opening that resembles a window in appearance or function

   corner pocket

   a pocket at the corner of a billiard table

   side pocket

   a pocket on the side of a billiard table

   Monro's foramen, foramen of Monro, interventricular foramen

   the small opening (on both the right and left sides) that connects the third ventricle in the diencephalon with the lateral ventricle in the cerebral hemisphere

   foramen magnum

   the large opening at the base of the cranium through which the spinal cord passes

   abysm, abyss

   a bottomless gulf or pit; any unfathomable (or apparently unfathomable) cavity or chasm or void extending below (often used figuratively)

   aperture

   a natural opening in something

   bolt-hole

   a hole through which an animal may bolt when pursued into its burrow or den

   bullet hole

   a hole made by a bullet passing through it

   chap

   a crack in a lip caused usually by cold

   chink

   a narrow opening as e.g. between planks in a wall

   cranny

   a small opening or crevice (especially in a rock face or wall)

   crevasse

   a deep fissure

   fatigue crack

   a crack in metal resulting from metal fatigue

   break, fault, faulting, fracture, geological fault, shift

   (geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other

   gulf

   a deep wide chasm

   leak

   an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape

   ozone hole

   an area of the ozone layer (near the poles) that is seasonally depleted of ozone

   perforation

   a hole made in something

   rathole

   a hole (as in the wall of a building) made by rats

   rift

   a narrow fissure in rock

   slit

   a narrow fissure

   split

   a lengthwise crack in wood

   vent, volcano

   a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt

   knothole

   a hole in a board where a knot came out

   type of:

   space

   an empty area (usually bounded in some way between things)
2. noun

   a vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made
   “they left a small opening for the cat at the bottom of the door”

   types:

   aperture

   a man-made opening; usually small

   bell

   the flared opening of a tubular device

   breech, rear of barrel, rear of tube

   opening in the rear of the barrel of a gun where bullets can be loaded

   exit, issue, outlet, way out

   an opening that permits escape or release

   fly, fly front

   an opening in a garment that is closed by a zipper or by buttons concealed under a fold of cloth

   crack, gap

   a narrow opening

   gun muzzle, muzzle

   the open circular discharging end of a gun

   hole

   an opening deliberately made in or through something

   inlet, intake

   an opening through which fluid is admitted to a tube or container

   interstice

   small opening between things

   fenestella, lunette

   oval or circular opening; to allow light into a dome or vault

   mouth

   the opening of a jar or bottle

   neck, neck opening

   an opening in a garment for the neck of the wearer; a part of the garment near the wearer's neck

   pass-through

   an opening that resembles a window between two rooms (especially a shelved opening between a kitchen and dining room that is used to pass dishes)

   embrasure, port, porthole

   an opening (in a wall or ship or armored vehicle) for firing through

   slit

   a long narrow opening

   spout

   an opening that allows the passage of liquids or grain

   throat

   an opening in the vamp of a shoe at the instep

   grille, lattice, wicket

   small opening (like a window in a door) through which business can be transacted

   window

   a transparent opening in a vehicle that allow vision out of the sides or back; usually is capable of being opened

   window

   an opening in a wall or screen that admits light and air and through which customers can be served

   air hole

   a hole that allows the passage of air

   air horn

   air intake of a carburetor

   armhole

   a hole through which you put your arm and where a sleeve can be attached

   bunghole

   a hole in a barrel or cask; used to fill or empty it

   button hole, buttonhole

   a hole through which buttons are pushed

   car window

   a window in a car

   countersink

   a hole (usually in wood) with the top part enlarged so that a screw or bolt will fit into it and lie below the surface

   cup

   the hole (or metal container in the hole) on a golf green

   ear hole

   a hole (as in a helmet) for sound to reach the ears

   eye

   a small hole or loop (as in a needle)

   eyehole, eyelet

   a small hole (usually round and finished around the edges) in cloth or leather for the passage of a cord or hook or bar

   finger hole

   a hole for inserting a finger

   finger hole

   one of a series of holes in a woodwind instrument; pitch changes when a finger covers it

   gargoyle

   a spout that terminates in a grotesquely carved figure of a person or animal

   hawse, hawsehole, hawsepipe

   the hole that an anchor rope passes through

   jag

   a slit in a garment that exposes material of a different color underneath; used in Renaissance clothing

   keyhole

   the hole where a key is inserted

   blank, lacuna

   a blank gap or missing part

   loophole

   a small hole in a fortified wall; for observation or discharging weapons

   lubber's hole

   hole in a platform on a mast through which a sailor can climb without going out on the shrouds

   manhole

   a hole (usually with a flush cover) through which a person can gain access to an underground structure

   mortice, mortise

   a square hole made to receive a tenon and so to form a joint

   mouth hole

   a hole (as in a ski mask) for the mouth

   embouchure, mouthpiece

   the aperture of a wind instrument into which the player blows directly

   mouthpiece

   a part that goes over or into the mouth of a person

   nail hole

   a hole left after a nail is removed

   neckline

   the line formed by the edge of a garment around the neck

   nose, nozzle

   a projecting spout from which a fluid is discharged

   outfall

   the outlet of a river or drain or other source of water

   eyehole, peephole, spyhole

   a hole (in a door or an oven etc) through which you can peep

   perforation

   a line of small holes for tearing at a particular place

   plughole

   a hole into which a plug fits (especially a hole where water drains away)

   gunpoint, point

   the gun muzzle's direction

   post hole, posthole

   a hole dug in the ground to hold a fence post

   puncture

   a small hole made by a sharp object

   siamese, siamese connection

   an inlet with two or more couplings to which a hose can be attached so that fire engines can pump water into the sprinkler system of a building

   slot

   a small slit (as for inserting a coin or depositing mail)

   sound hole

   a hole in a soundboard (as of a violin) designed to resonate with the tones

   spark gap

   the gap between two high-potential terminals

   thumbhole

   the hole in a woodwind that is closed and opened with the thumb

   ticket window

   a window through which tickets are sold (as from a ticket booth)

   blowhole, vent, vent-hole, venthole

   a hole for the escape of gas or air

   vent

   a slit in a garment (as in the back seam of a jacket)

   V neck

   the neck of a garment has the shape in front of the letter V

   type of:

   artefact, artifact

   a man-made object taken as a whole
3. noun

   an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity
   synonyms: orifice, porta

   types:

   vent

   external opening of urinary or genital system of a lower vertebrate

   blastopore

   the opening into the archenteron

   aortic orifice

   the orifice from the lower left chamber of the heart to the aorta

   stoma

   a mouth or mouthlike opening (especially one created by surgery on the surface of the body to create an opening to an internal organ)

   porta hepatis

   opening for major blood vessels to enter and leave the liver

   spiracle

   a breathing orifice

   mouth

   the externally visible part of the oral cavity on the face and the system of organs surrounding the opening

   os

   a mouth or mouthlike opening

   cervix, cervix uteri, uterine cervix

   necklike opening to the uterus

   fenestra

   a small opening covered with membrane (especially one in the bone between the middle and inner ear)

   cardia

   the opening into the stomach and that part of the stomach connected to the esophagus

   introitus

   entrance or opening to a hollow organ or tube (especially the vaginal opening)

   external orifice, urethral orifice

   the orifice through which urine is discharged

   pylorus

   a small circular opening between the stomach and the duodenum

   anus

   the excretory opening at the end of the alimentary canal

   fontanel, fontanelle, soft spot

   any membranous gap between the bones of the cranium in an infant or fetus

   naris

   any of the openings to the nasal cavities that allow air to flow through the cavities to the pharynx

   rima

   a narrow elongated opening or fissure between two symmetrical parts

   cytostome

   mouth of a protozoan

   beak, bill, neb, nib, pecker

   horny projecting mouth of a bird

   beak

   beaklike mouth of animals other than birds (e.g., turtles)

   blowhole

   the spiracle of a cetacean located far back on the skull

   stigma

   an external tracheal aperture in a terrestrial arthropod

   mouth, oral cavity, oral fissure, rima oris

   the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

   incompetent cervix

   (obstetrics) uterine cervix that becomes dilated before term and without labor often resulting in miscarriage or premature birth

   fenestra of the vestibule, fenestra ovalis, fenestra vestibuli, oval window

   fenestra that has the base of the stapes attached to it

   fenestra cochleae, fenestra of the cochlea, fenestra rotunda, round window

   fenestra leading into the cochlea

   pudendal cleavage, pudendal cleft, pudendal slit, rima pudendi, rima vulvae, urogenital cleft, vulvar slit

   the fissure between the labia majora

   bunghole

   vulgar slang for anus

   imperforate anus

   a congenital defect of the anus; there is partial or complete obstruction of the anal opening

   anterior fontanelle

   corresponds to the bregma when bones have ossified

   sphenoid fontanel, sphenoid fontanelle, sphenoidal fontanel, sphenoidal fontanelle

   the irregularly shaped area on either side of the cranium where the frontal bone and the anterior tip of the parietal bone and the temporal bone and the greater wing of the sphenoid bone meet; corresponds to the pterion when bones have ossified

   anterior naris, nostril

   either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose

   posterior naris

   either one of the two posterior openings at the back of the nasal cavity leading to the nasopharynx

   glottis vera, rima glottidis, rima vocalis, true glottis

   the space between the two true vocal folds

   false glottis, glottis spuria, rima respiratoria, rima vestibuli

   the opening between the false vocal folds

   type of:

   passage, passageway

   a path or channel or duct through or along which something may pass
4. noun

   an entrance equipped with a hatch; especially a passageway between decks of a ship
   synonyms: hatchway, scuttle

   types:

   escape hatch

   hatchway that provides a means of escape in an emergency

   type of:

   entrance, entranceway, entree, entry, entryway

   something that provides access (to get in or get out)
5. noun

   becoming open or being made open
   “the opening of his arms was the sign I was waiting for”

   types:

   cut, cutting

   the act of penetrating or opening open with a sharp edge

   nick, notch, snick

   a small cut

   gash, slash

   a strong sweeping cut made with a sharp instrument

   incision, section, surgical incision

   the cutting of or into body tissues or organs (especially by a surgeon as part of an operation)

   type of:

   change of integrity

   the act of changing the unity or wholeness of something
6. noun

   the act of opening something
   “the ray of light revealed his cautious opening of the door”

   antonyms:

   closing

   the act of closing something

   type of:

   motility, motion, move, movement

   a change of position that does not entail a change of location
7. noun

   the first performance (as of a theatrical production)
   “the opening received good critical reviews”

   synonyms: curtain raising, opening night

   type of:

   start

   the beginning of anything
8. noun

   a ceremony accompanying the start of some enterprise
   type of:

   ceremonial, ceremonial occasion, ceremony, observance

   a formal event performed on a special occasion
9. noun

   the first of a series of actions
   synonyms: first step, initiative, opening move

   types:

   curtain raiser

   any preliminary activity

   first base

   the initial stage in accomplishing something

   peace initiative

   opening move in negotiating a peace treaty

   type of:

   beginning, commencement, start

   the act of starting something
10. noun

    the initial part of the introduction
    “the opening established the basic theme”

    types:

    teaser

    an attention-getting opening presented at the start of a television show

    salutation

    word of greeting used to begin a letter

    type of:

    introduction

    the first section of a communication
11. noun

    a recognized sequence of moves at the beginning of a game of chess
    synonyms: chess opening

    type of:

    sequence, succession

    the action of following in order
12. adjective

    first or beginning
    “the memorable opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth”

    “the play's opening scene”

    synonyms:

    beginning, first

    serving to begin

    first, inaugural, initiative, initiatory, maiden

    serving to set in motion

    introductory

    serving to open or begin

    starting

    appropriate to the beginning or start of an event

    antonyms:

    closing

    final or ending

    concluding, final, last, terminal

    occurring at or forming an end or termination

    terminative

    coming to an end

    year-end

    taking place at the close of a fiscal year
13. noun

    a possible alternative
    synonyms: possibility, possible action

    types:

    possible

    something that can be done

    type of:

    alternative, choice, option

    one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen
14. noun

    opportunity especially for employment or promotion
    “there is an opening in the sales department”

    type of:

    chance, opportunity

    a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances