Advertisement

Origin and history of opening

opening(n.)

Old English openung "act of making open" (a door, mouth, etc.), "disclosure, manifestation," verbal noun from present participle of open (v.). Meaning "vacant space, hole, aperture, doorway" is attested from c. 1200. Meaning "act of opening (a place, to the public)" is from late 14c. Sense of "opportunity, chance" is from 1793. Sense of "action of beginning (something)" is from 1712; meaning "first performance of a play" is 1855; that of "start of an art exhibit" is from 1905. Opening night is attested from 1814.

Entries linking to opening

open(v.)

Old English openian "to open, open up, cause to open, disclose, reveal," also intransitive, "become manifest, be open to or exposed to," from Proto-Germanic *opanojan (source also of Old Saxon opanon, Old Norse opna "to open," Middle Dutch, Dutch openen, Old High German offanon, German öffnen), from the source of open (adj.), but etymology suggests the adjective is older. Transitive sense of "set in action, begin, commence" is from 1690s. Open up (intrans.) in the figurative sense "cease to be secretive" is from 1921. Related: Opened; opening.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    gap
    early 14c., "an opening in a wall or hedge; a break, a breach," mid-13c. in place names, from Old Norse gap "chasm, empty space," related to gapa "to gape, open the mouth wide," common Proto-Germanic (cognates: Middle Dutch, Dutch gapen, German gaffen "to gape, stare," Swedish ga
    scuttle
    Middle English scutel "dish; basket, winnowing basket," from late Old English scutel "broad, shallow dish; platter," from Latin scutella "serving platter" (source also of Old French escuelle, Modern French écuelle, Spanish escudilla, Italian scudella "a plate, bowl"), diminutive
    gate
    "opening, entrance," Old English geat (plural geatu) "gate, door, opening, passage, hinged framework barrier," from Proto-Germanic...*gatan (source also of Old Norse gat "opening, passage," Old Saxon gat "eye of a needle, hole," Old Frisian gat "hole, opening...
    overture
    mid-13c., "an opening, an aperture;" early 15c. as "an introductory proposal, something offered to open the way to some conclusion...," from Old French overture "opening; proposal" (Modern French ouverture), from Latin apertura "opening," from aperire "to...
    bay
    "opening in a wall," especially a space between two columns, late 14c. from Old French baee "opening, hole, gulf," noun use...
    monotreme
    "animal of the lowest order of mammals," native to Australia and New Zealand, which have one opening for the genital, urinary...Latin, neuter plural of monotrematus, from Greek monos "single, alone" (see mono-) + stem of trēma "perforation, hole, opening...
    hatch
    "opening, grated gate, half-door," Old English hæc (genitive hæcce) "fence, grating, gate," from Proto-Germanic *hak- (source...Sense of "opening in a ship's deck" is first recorded mid-13c....
    prize
    "that which is obtained or offered as the reward of exertion or contest; reward or symbol of victory," spelling alteration of Middle English prise (c. 1300 in this sense), from Old French pris "price, value, worth; reward" (see price (n.)). Figuratively, "anything worth striving
    motion
    late 14c., mocioun, "process of moving; change of place, continuous variation of position;" also "suggestion, proposal or proposition formally made," from Old French mocion "movement, motion; change, alteration" (13c., Modern French motion) and directly from Latin motionem (nomin
    peon
    in Spanish America, "unskilled worker," formerly in Mexico especially "a type of serf held in servitude by his creditor until his debts are worked off,"  1826, from Mexican Spanish peon "agricultural laborer" (especially a debtor held in servitude by his creditor), from Span

    Share opening

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near opening
    Advertisement