Opening Meaning
/ˈəʊ.pə.nɪŋ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbpresent participle and gerund of open
adjPertaining to the start or beginning of a series of events.
Sentence Examples
I am counting on you to deliver the opening address.
Would you mind opening the window?
We could see the stars through an opening in the roof.
CEFR Practice Quiz
A small ____ in the cave wall allowed fresh air to enter.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The grand ____ of the new museum attracted thousands of visitors from across the region.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"He held that great exactness in craniotopography is unnecessary, all that is needed being to make a sufficiently large opening."
— 1894, George Frederick Shrady, Thomas Lathrop Stedman, Medical Record, volume 45, page 569:
"Specialised long-reach excavators with a clamshell grab then reach though the openings to lift the spoil to the surface, which is then deposited in articulated dump trucks (ADTs)."
— 2023 March 8, Chris Howe, “Building the platform for Old Oak Common's platforms”, in RAIL, number 978, page 60:
"The French openings decided that satin gowns, suits, wraps and even hats were to be in first fashion this autumn."
— 1916 September 11, Anne Rittenhouse, “Dress: One-piece Frocks of Satin in Neutral Colors, With Bits of Colored Embroidery”, in The Journal and Tribune, volume 30, number 235, Knoxville, Tenn., page 6:
"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."
— 2010 December 29, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0 - 1 Wolverhampton”, in BBC:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
A small ____ in the cave wall allowed fresh air to enter.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The grand ____ of the new museum attracted thousands of visitors from across the region.