opening

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

opening (plural openings)

1. A hole; a gap; a crevice.

   A salamander darted out of an opening in the rocks.

   He slipped through an opening in the crowd.

2. (chess) The first few moves in a game of chess.

   John spends two hours a day studying openings, and another two hours studying endgames.

3. An unoccupied employment position.

   We have an opening in our marketing department.

4. The first performance of a show or play by a particular troupe.

   They were disappointed at the turnout for their opening, but hoped that word would spread.

5. The initial period a show at an art gallery or museum is first opened, especially the first evening.
6. The first few measures of a musical composition.
7. A time available for an appointment.

   If you'd like to make a booking with us, we have an opening at twelve o'clock.

8. (sports) A chance to make progress in a game, for example to score a goal.
   • 2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton”, BBC:

     The Reds carved the first opening of the second period as Glen Johnson's pull-back found David Ngog but the Frenchman hooked wide from six yards.

Synonyms

• (available time): availability, slot
• See also Wikisaurus:hole

Coordinate terms

• (opening of an art show): vernissage

Derived terms

• grand opening
• market opening
• opening batsman
• opening ceremony
• opening credits
• opening day
• opening fire
• opening hours
• opening of an envelope
• soft opening

Translations

hole; gap; crevice

Catalan: obertura (ca) f. Czech: otvor (cs) m. Finnish: aukko (fi), reikä (fi), kolo (fi)

French: trou (fr) m. German: Öffnung (de) f. Scottish Gaelic: beul (gd) m., toll (gd) m.

first few moves in a game of chess

Catalan: obertura (ca) f. Finnish: avaus (fi)

German: Eröffnung (de) f. Swedish: öppning (sv) c., spelöppning (sv) c.

unoccupied employment position

German: offene Stelle (de) f., freie Stelle (de) f.

Portuguese: vaga (pt) f.

first performance of a show or play by a particular troupe

German: Eröffnungsvorstellung (de) f.

initial period an art gallery or museum is first opened

first few measures of a musical composition

Finnish: alku (fi)

time available to have a consultation with someone

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

Esperanto: malfermo (eo) Slovene: odprtina (sl) f. (1), otvoritev (sl) f. (2,4,5) Spanish: apertura (es) f.

Verb

opening

1. Present participle of open.

Adjective

opening (comparative more opening, superlative most opening)

1. (cricket) describing the first period of play, usually up to the fall of the first wicket; describing a batsman who opens the innings or a bowler who opens the attack

[[Category:{{{{{1}}}}} terms needing attention|opening]]

---

Dutch

Etymology

From openen +‎ -ing.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

opening f. (plural openingen, diminutive openinkje)

1. opening, gap
2. the act or process of being opened