opening

an open or empty space in or between things

“there was a small opening between the trees”

becoming open or being made open

“the opening of his arms was the sign I was waiting for”

first or beginning

“the memorable opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth”

opportunity especially for employment or promotion

“there is an opening in the sales department”

the act of opening something

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

the initial part of the introduction

“the opening established the basic theme”

a recognized sequence of moves at the beginning of a game of chess

“he memorized all the important chess openings”

an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity

a possible alternative

an entrance equipped with a hatch; especially a passageway between decks of a ship

the first of a series of actions

the first performance (as of a theatrical production)

“the opening received good critical reviews”