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opener

opener

65 2.5
The first event in a series, often a performance or game
  • noun
  • /ˈoʊpənər/
translation icon : apertura
  • The period after the opener is also the best time to introduce new material.

Well, the question is obviously Ryan Sterling scored the opener against Croatia.

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Examples

  • If you answered, score your tickets to the Brooklyn Nets home opener, you answered correctly.

    Blog text (1)
  • It's the season opener.

  • So that was a great opener and they gave me access into lots of different sports to get myself strong enough.

  • Well, here we are just minutes away from the season opener of 2002 for the Oakland A's.

  • After beating Dallas in the home opener, Jazz has lost three straight games.

    Blog text (2)
  • Well, the question is obviously Ryan Sterling scored the opener against Croatia.

  • The Knicks' season opener against the Nets was also canceled as a result of the storm.

    Blog text (7)
  • There's a lot of energy that follows any opener, whether it be the opener to the regular season or, in this case, the home opener for the Washington Nationals.

  • This is Willy Drucker, the voice of the Nelson Golden Nuggets, bringing you tonight's highly anticipated season opener!

  • The new play is set to have its grand opener this Friday at the theater downtown.

Synonyms

opening
vsopener
350 1.0

The first part that marks the start of something, for example a ceremony

is the general concept for initial events in a series
debut
vsopener
205 4.9

A first public appearance by a person or thing

is more general and not limited to formal public appearances
opening night
vsopener
60 3.4

The first public performance of a play or film

is the broader term for any first event beyond performances
kickoff
vsopener
37 3.7

The official start of an event or activity

is broader and not limited to formal scheduled starts
jump-off
vsopener
  • US
4 4.1

The place or time where an event begins

is broader and covers any first event or element in a series
opening move
vsopener
2 3.9

The first action someone takes at the start of a game or negotiation

is about the first event or item rather than a single action
starting signal
vsopener
1 3.5

A sound or light that shows the start of a race

is the general first item, not the cue that marks it
curtain raiser
vsopener
1 5.6

A short event or performance that comes before the main show

is the first item in a series rather than a preliminary introduction
start-off
vsopener
3.2

The first moment when a race or event begins

is the general first item in a series rather than a single moment
racing start
vsopener
3.4

The moment a race begins after a signal

is broader and covers starts across many events not only races

Compounds

18 1.0

A tool that opens metal cans by cutting the lid

16 4.4

An experience that makes you see something in a new way

11 2.1

A small tool with a thin blade for cutting envelopes

A tool for taking off caps or corks from bottles

1 3.9

A surprising event or fact that teaches you something new

eye opener
  • Informal
1 7.2

An alcoholic drink taken early in the morning to wake you up

1 1.3

A tool for opening metal cans

A small tool for removing metal caps from bottles

An action or remark that starts a conversation

How Final

finale
180 3.6
capper
1 7.6
midpoint
  • Specialized
10 3.5
opener
65 2.5

Surface Forms

opener singular
openers plural

Morphology

opener = open (transparent) = open + er

The sense 'the first item or event' is a direct extension of 'the thing that opens' (i.e., opens a series), so learners who know 'open' and '-er' can typically infer this use.

Etymology

Opener comes from open, meaning 'to begin' or 'to make open', with -er meaning 'a thing or person that', so an opener is the first event or item that 'opens' a show, game, or series.