Unstoppering

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To remove a stopper from a container, allowing contents to flow freely
2. To open a sealed vessel, enabling access to its interior or contents
3. To disengage a cap or plug from an object, thus permitting the release or passage of material

Etymology: "Unstoppering" is the present participle of "unstopper," a verb formed in English by attaching the reversing prefix "un-" to "stopper." The prefix turns an action into its opposite, so the verb means to remove a stopper, the plug or cork that seals a bottle, flask or jar. The base "stopper" comes from "stop," which in its older sense meant to fill up or plug an opening, so a stopper is literally the thing that does the plugging. The pattern is an ordinary one in English. Many verbs take "un-" to describe undoing a fastening or seal, as with "unlock," "unseal" and "unscrew." "Unstopper" follows the same logic, and the verb's sense has stayed close to its literal parts: to pull the plug from a container so that its contents can be reached.

Synonyms: removing, opening, uncorking

Antonyms: stoppering, corking, closing