opening

/ˈoʊp(ə)nɪŋ/
/ˈʌʊpənɪŋ/
IPA guide

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
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 36 types...
    hide 36 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”
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 65 types...
    hide 65 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