ˈəupən adj.,
v., & n. --adj. 1
not closed or locked or blocked
up; allowing entrance or passage or
access. 2 a (of a
room,
field, or
other area) having
its door or gate in a
position allowing access, or
part of its confining
boundary removed. b (of a container) not fastened or sealed; in a position or
with the lid etc. in a position allowing access to the
inside part. 3
unenclosed,
unconfined,
unobstructed (the open road; open views). 4 a uncovered,
bare, exposed (open
drain; open wound). b
Sport (of a
goal mouth or other
object of attack)
unprotected,
vulnerable. 5
undisguised,
public, manifest; not
exclusive or
limited (open
scandal; open hostilities). 6 expanded, unfolded, or
spread out (had the
map open on the table). 7 (of a fabric) not close; with gaps or intervals. 8 a (of a person)
frank and communicative. b (of the mind)
accessible to
new ideas;
unprejudiced or
undecided. 9 a (of an
exhibition,
shop, etc.) accessible to visitors or customers;
ready for business. b (of a meeting) admitting
all, not restricted to members etc. 10 a (of a race,
competition,
scholarship, etc.)
unrestricted as to
who may compete. b (of a
champion,
scholar, etc.) having
won such a
contest. 11 (of government) conducted in an
informative manner receptive to
enquiry,
criticism,
etc.,
from the public. 12 (foll. by to) a
willing to
receive (is open to offers). b (of a
choice,
offer, or opportunity) still
available (there are
three courses open to us). c
likely to
suffer from or be
affected by (open to abuse). 13 a (of the mouth) with lips
apart,
esp. in
surprise or
incomprehension. b (of the ears or eyes) eagerly
attentive. 14 Mus. a (of a string) allowed to
vibrate along its
whole length. b (of a pipe) unstopped at
each end. c (of a note) sounded from an open
string or
pipe. 15 (of an
electrical circuit) having a break in the conducting
path. 16 (of the bowels) not constipated. 17 (of a
return ticket) not restricted as to
day of
travel. 18 (of a cheque) not crossed. 19 (of a boat)
without a
deck. 20 (of a
river or harbour)
free of
ice. 21 (of the
weather or winter) free of
frost. 22 Phonet. a (of a vowel) produced with a relatively
wide opening of the mouth. b (of a syllable)
ending in a
vowel. 23 (of a
town,
city, etc.) not defended even if attacked. --v. 1 tr. & intr.
make or
become open or
more open. 2 a tr.
change from a closed or fastened position so as to
allow access (opened the door; opened the box). b intr. (of a door, lid, etc.)
have its position changed to allow access (the door opened slowly). 3 tr.
remove the sealing or
fastening element of (a container) to
get access to the contents (opened the envelope). 4 intr. (foll. by
into, on
to, etc.) (of a door, room, etc.)
afford access as specified (opened on to a
large garden). 5 a tr.
start or
establish or set
going (a business,
activity, etc.). b intr. be initiated; make a start (the
session opens
tomorrow; the story opens with a murder). c tr. (of a
counsel in a lawcourt) make a
preliminary statement in (a case)
before calling witnesses. 6 tr. a spread out or
unfold (a map,
newspaper, etc.). b (often absol.)
refer to the contents of (a book). 7 intr. (often foll. by with) (of a person)
begin speaking,
writing, etc. (he opened with a warning). 8 intr. (of a prospect)
come into
view; be revealed. 9 tr. reveal or
communicate (one's feelings, intentions, etc.). 10 tr. make (one's
mind,
heart, etc.) more
sympathetic or enlightened. 11 tr. ceremonially
declare (a
building etc.) to be completed and in
use. 12 tr. break up (ground) with a
plough etc. 13 tr.
cause evacuation of (the bowels). 14 Naut. a tr. get a view of by change of position. b intr. come into full view. --n. 1 (prec. by the) a open
space or
country or
air. b public
notice or view;
general attention (esp. into the open). 2 an open
championship, competition, or scholarship. øbe open with
speak frankly to.
keep open
house see HOUSE. open air (usu. prec. by the) a free or unenclosed space
outdoors. open-air (attrib.) out of doors. open-and-shut (of an
argument, case, etc.)
straightforward and
conclusive. open-armed
cordial; warmly receptive. open
book a
person who is
easily understood. open day a day
when the public may
visit a
place normally closed to
them. open door free
admission of
foreign trade and immigrants. open-door adj. open, accessible, public. open the door to see DOOR. open-ended having no predetermined
limit or boundary. open a person's eyes see
EYE. open-eyed 1 with the eyes open. 2
alert,
watchful. open-faced having a frank or
ingenuous expression. open-handed
generous. open-handedly generously. open-handedness generosity. open-hearted frank and kindly. open-heartedness an open-hearted
quality. open-hearth process a process of
steel manufacture, using a
shallow reverberatory
furnace. open-heart
surgery surgery with the heart exposed and the
blood made to
bypass it. open house
welcome or
hospitality for all visitors. open ice ice
through which navigation is
possible. open
letter a letter, esp. of
protest, addressed to an
individual and published in a newspaper or
journal. open
market an unrestricted market with free competition of buyers and sellers. open-minded accessible to new ideas; unprejudiced. open-mindedly in an open-minded manner. open-mindedness the quality of
being open-minded. open-mouthed with the mouth open, esp. in surprise. open out 1 unfold; spread out. 2
develop,
expand. 3 become communicative. 4
accelerate. open-plan (usu. attrib.) (of a house,
office, etc.) having large
undivided rooms. open
prison a prison with the
minimum of
physical restraints on prisoners. open
question a
matter on which differences of
opinion are
legitimate. open-reel (of a
tape recorder) having reels of tape requiring individual threading, as
distinct from a
cassette. open
sandwich a sandwich without a top
slice of
bread. open
sea an
expanse of sea
away from
land. open
season the season when restrictions on the
killing of game etc. are lifted. open
secret a supposed secret
that is
known to
many people. open
sesame see SESAME. open shop 1 a business etc.
where employees do not have to be members of a trade
union (opp. closed shop). 2
this system. open
society a society with wide dissemination of
information and
freedom of
belief. Open
University (in the UK) a university that teaches
mainly by broadcasting and
correspondence, and is open to
those without
formal academic qualifications. open up 1
unlock (premises). 2 make accessible. 3 reveal;
bring to notice. 4 accelerate esp. a
motor vehicle. 5 begin
shooting or
sounding. open
verdict a verdict affirming that a
crime has been committed but not specifying the
criminal or (in case of
violent death) the cause. with open arms see
ARM(1). øøopenable adj. openness n. [OE open]