opener

American  

[oh-puh-ner] / ˈoʊ pə nər /

noun

• openers
  plural

1. a person or thing that opens.

2. a device for opening sealed containers.

   can opener.

3. the first of several theatrical numbers, variety acts, sports events, etc..

   a humorous monologue as an opener.

4. Poker. openers, cards in a hand, as a pair of jacks or better, that according to a given standard are worth enough to enable the holder to make the first bet of a deal.

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idioms

1. for openers, as an initially stated reason or argument; at the outset; to begin with.

   Well, for openers, I don't have the money.

opener British  

/ ˈəʊpənə /

noun

1. an instrument used to open sealed containers such as tins or bottles

   a bottle opener

2. a person who opens, esp the player who makes the first bid or play

3. the first or opening section or episode in a series

4. the first song, act, etc, in a variety show

5. (plural) a start; beginning (esp in the phrase for openers )

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-opener
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• openers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of opener

First recorded in 1540–50; open + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

opener openers

Alcaraz edged the opener on a tie-break - but only after surrendering his advantage after breaking for a seemingly decisive 6-5 lead.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Kendall Omoruyi finished with 19 kills for 14-0 Sierra Canyon, which won the Mission League opener.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

For example opener Saim Ayub, one of those called up for this Test, is playing in a first-class match for the first time since October 2025.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Alvin Kamara sits out the opener, but New Orleans will still move the ball through the air.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

With the season opener a week away, the pressure now intensified on everyone else, on Brian Chavez with his metamorphic ruthlessness and Ivory Christian with his love-hate ambivalence and Jerrod McDougal with his religious zeal.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

And Chesney improved to 13-4 in season openers as a head coach, now having won seven consecutive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

Handheld multitools are a great item to keep on hand, with many options featuring various knives, bottle openers, screwdrivers, and even scissors.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

In 1978, a Clearwater, Fla., radio station accepted 112 electric can openers from an advertiser who could not afford to pay for commercial time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

The “Ts” are easy, the semiretired commercial real-estate banker from New York says: cringeworthy fridge magnets, shot glasses, bottle openers, to name a few.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

He warned against potato peelers and tin openers; he viewed birthday candles as deadly weapons.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• birth
• creation
• dawn
• inauguration
• inception
• introduction
• onset
• opening
• outset
• starting point
• top