| opening | 1. The act or process of opening; a beginning; commencement; first appearance; as, the opening of a speech. "The opening of your glory was like that of light." (Dryden) 2. A place which is open; a breach; an aperture; a gap; cleft, or hole. "We saw him at the opening of his tent." (Shak) 3. Hence: A vacant place; an opportunity; as, an opening for business. 4. A thinly wooded space, without undergrowth, in the midst of a forest; as, oak openings. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| opening axis | An imaginary line around which the mandibular condyles may rotate during opening and closing movements. Compare: fulcrum line. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening contraction | A contraction produced at the time of opening the circuit when using direct current to stimulate the muscle or a motor nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening movement | In dentistry, movement of the mandible executed during jaw separation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening of external acoustic meatus | The orifice of the external acoustic meatus in the tympanic portion of the temporal bone. Synonym: porus acusticus externus, external acoustic foramen, external acoustic pore, external auditory pore, external auditory foramen, orifice of external acoustic meatus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening of inferior vena cava | The orifice through which the inferior vena cava opens into the right atrium. Synonym: ostium venae cavae inferioris, orifice of inferior vena cava. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening of internal acoustic meatus | The inner opening of the internal acoustic meatus on the posterior surface of the petrous part of the temporal bone. Synonym: porus acusticus internus, internal acoustic foramen, internal acoustic pore, auditory pore, internal auditory foramen, orifice of internal acoustic meatus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening of pulmonary trunk | The opening of the pulmonary trunk from the right ventricle, guarded by the pulmonary valve. Synonym: ostium trunci pulmonalis, pulmonary orifice. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening of superior vena cava | The point of entry of the superior vena cava into the right atrium. Synonym: ostium venae cavae superioris, orifice of superior vena cava. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening of the sphenoidal sinus | One of the pair of openings in the body of the sphenoid bone through which the sphenoid sinuses communicate with the sphenoethmoidal recess of the nasal cavity. Synonym: apertura sinus sphenoidalis, sphenoidal sinus aperture. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening of uterus | The vaginal opening of the uterus. Synonym: ostium uteri, mouth of the womb, opening of uterus, orificium externum uteri, os uteri externum, ostium uteri externum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| opening to cerebral aqueduct | Entrance to the cerebral aqueduct (of Sylvius) from the caudal part of the third ventricle. Synonym: aditus ad aqueductum cerebri, Bartholin's anus, opening to cerebral aqueduct. (05 Mar 2000) |
| openings of pulmonary veins | The orifices of the pulmonary veins, usually two on each side, in the wall of the left atrium. Synonym: ostia venarum pulmonalium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| openm | 1. To make or set open; to render free of access; to unclose; to unbar; to unlock; to remove any fastening or covering from; as, to open a door; to open a box; to open a room; to open a letter. "And all the windows of my heart I open to the day." (Whittier) 2. To spread; to expand; as, to open the hand. 3. To disclose; to reveal; to interpret; to explain. "The king opened himself to some of his council, that he was sorry for the earl's death." (Bacon) "Unto thee have I opened my cause." (Jer. Xx. 12) "While he opened to us the Scriptures." (Luke xxiv. 32) 4. To make known; to discover; also, to render available or accessible for settlements, trade, etc. "The English did adventure far for to open the North parts of America." (Abp. Abbot) 5. To enter upon; to begin; as, to open a discussion; to open fire upon an enemy; to open trade, or correspondence; to open a case in court, or a meeting. 6. To loosen or make less compact; as, to open matted cotton by separating the fibres. To open one's mouth, to speak. To open up, to lay open; to discover; to disclose. "Poetry that had opened up so many delightful views into the character and condition of our "bold peasantry, their country's pride."" (Prof. Wilson) Origin: AS. Openian. See Open,a. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| openwork | 1. Anything so constructed or manufactured (in needlework, carpentry, metal work, etc) as to show openings through its substance; work that is perforated or pierced. 2. <chemical> A quarry; an open cut. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |