1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Open.

2. (n.) The act or process of opening; a beginning; commencement; first appearance; as, the opening of a speech.

3. (n.) A place which is open; a breach; an aperture; a gap; cleft, or hole.

4. (n.) Hence: A vacant place; an opportunity; as, an opening for business.

5. (n.) A thinly wooded space, without undergrowth, in the midst of a forest; as, oak openings.

a leg up abysm abyss access adit air lock aisle alley alpha ambulatory aperture apparition appearance appearing appointment approach arcade arising arroyo artery avatar avenue bareness barrenness beginning berth billet birth blankness blast-off bleakness blowhole box canyon breach break canyon cavity chance channel chap chasm check chimney chink chute clear stage cleft cleuch cloister clough col colonnade coming coming into being coming-forth commencement communication conduit connection corridor coulee couloir covered way crack cranny creation crevasse crevice cut cutting edge cwm dawn dawning debouch debut defile dell demonstration desertedness desolateness dike disclosure discontinuity display ditch donga door draw edge egress emergence employment emptiness emunctory enactment engagement entrance entranceway entree entry entryway epiphany escape establishment estuary excavation exhaust exhibit exhibition exit exposition exposure fair field fair game fault ferry fissure flaw floodgate flume flying start foothold ford forthcoming foundation fracture fresh start furrow gallery gangplank gangway gap gape gash gig gorge groove gulch gulf gully hall hole hollowness in inanition inauguration incarnation incision incumbency ingress initiation inlet institution intake interchange intersection issuance job joint jump-off junction kick-off kloof lane launch leading edge leak liberty look-in loophole manifestation materialization materializing means of access moat moonlighting new departure noninhabitance nonoccupance nonoccupancy nonresidence notch nullah occasion occurrence office oncoming onset open arms open door opportunism opportunity orifice origin origination ostentation out outbreak outcome outfall outgate outgo outlet outset outstart overpass pass passage passageway performance pit place place open pore port portico position post presentation presentment production projection railroad tunnel ravine realization rent representation retrospective revelation rift rime rise rising room running start rupture sally port scissure scope seam second job send-off separation service setout setting in motion setting-up shot show showing showing forth situation slit slot