Word definition: open

Etimology


From Middle English open, from Old English open (“open”), from Proto-West Germanic *opan, from Proto-Germanic *upanaz (“open”), from Proto-Indo-European *upo (“up from under, over”). Cognate with Scots apen (“open”), Saterland Frisian eepen (“open”), West Frisian iepen (“open”), Dutch open (“open”), Low German open, apen (“open”), German offen (“open”), Danish åben (“open”), Swedish öppen (“open”), Norwegian Bokmål åpen (“open”), Norwegian Nynorsk open (“open”), Icelandic opinn (“open”). Compare also Latin supinus (“on one's back, supine”), Albanian hap (“to open”). Related to up.

adjective


open (comparative more open, superlative most open)

(usually not comparable) Not closed.

Not physically drawn together, closed, folded or contracted; extended.

(not comparable) Actively conducting or prepared to conduct business.

(comparable) Receptive.

(not comparable) Public

(not comparable) With open access, of open science, or both.

(not comparable) Candid, ingenuous, not subtle in character.

(now regional) Mild (of the weather); free from frost or snow.

(mathematics, logic, of a formula) Having a free variable.

(mathematics, topology, of a set) Which is part of a predefined collection of subsets of X {\displaystyle X} , that defines a topological space on X {\displaystyle X} .

(graph theory, of a walk) Whose first and last vertices are different.

(computing, not comparable, of a file, document, etc.) In current use; connected to as a resource.

(engineering, gas and liquid flow, of valve or damper) To be in a position allowing fluid to flow.

(electricity, of a switch or circuit breaker) To be in a position preventing electricity from flowing.

(sometimes business) Not fulfilled or resolved; incomplete.

Not settled or adjusted; not decided or determined; not closed or withdrawn from consideration.

(music, stringed instruments) Of a note, played without pressing the string against the fingerboard.

(music) Of a note, played without closing any finger-hole, key or valve.

Not of a quality to prevent communication, as by closing waterways, blocking roads, etc.; hence, not frosty or inclement; mild; used of the weather or the climate.

(law, of correspondence) Written or sent with the intention that it may made public or referred to at any trial, rather than by way of confidential private negotiation for a settlement.

(phonetics) Uttered with a relatively wide opening of the articulating organs; said of vowels.

(phonetics) Uttered, as a consonant, with the oral passage simply narrowed without closure.

(phonetics, of a syllable) That ends in a vowel; not having a coda.

(computing, education) Made public, usable with a free licence and without proprietary components.

(medicine) Resulting from an incision, puncture or any other process by which the skin no longer protects an internal part of the body.

(computing, used before "code") Source code of a computer program that is not within the text of a macro being generated.

(of a multi-word compound) Having component words separated by spaces, as opposed to being joined together or hyphenated; for example, time slot as opposed to timeslot or time-slot.

Examples


Turn left after the second open door.

The open road, the dusty highway […]

It was as if his body had gone to sleep standing up and with his eyes open.

Synonyms: open-face, open-faced

open sandwich

Starry food is fun to make. You can buy bright yellow American mustard in squeezy bottles and pipe stars on to hot dogs and open burgers or sandwiches.

When the burgers are ready, place them on the toasted rolls with the romaine lettuce leaves and top with the salsa. Serve as open burgers.

Sunday morning in Wellow and we feast on open bagels with grilled ham, tomato and Swiss cheese, requested and highly praised.

an open hand; an open flower

Each, with open arms, embraced her chosen knight.

Banks are not open on bank holidays.

Since the launch early last year of […] two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.

I am open to new ideas.

Wherefore if Demetrius […] have a matter against any man, the law is open and there are deputies.

The service that I truly did his life, / Hath left me open to all injuries.

When the top sheet, blanket, and bedspread of a closed bed are turned back, or fanfolded, the closed bed becomes an open bed, or a bed ready to receive a patient or resident.

A U.K. survey found attitudes toward public transit had been set back by two decades, with only 43% of drivers open to using their car less, even if public transport improves.

He published an open letter to the governor on a full page of The New York Times.

His thefts were too open.

That I may find him, and with secret gaze / Or open admiration him behold.

Due to severe and pervasive discrimination, people dared not be open about their homosexuality, and because no one would be open, social prejudice and discrimination became even stronger.

hopes for all aspects of the project being open rather than paywalled

The man is an open book.

with aspect open, shall erect his head

The Moor is of a free and open nature.

The French are always open, familiar, and talkative.

He desires me to tell you that the present open weather induces him to accept Mr Vernon's invitation to prolong his stay in Sussex that they may have some hunting together.

I couldn't save my changes because another user had the same file open.

I've got open orders for as many containers of red durum as you can get me.

an open question

to keep an offer or opportunity open

Your account will remain open until we receive final settlement.

an open winter

You will observe that this is an open letter and we reserve the right to mention it to the judge should the matter come to trial.

"Supposing somebody sees you, with all those flowers too? Supposing somebody writes him a letter? Ooooh!"

Related words


synonyms

(not closed): accessible, unimpeded

(ending in a vowel): free

(with a free license and no proprietary components): free

antonyms

(accessible): closed, shut

(law): without prejudice

(ending in a vowel): closed, checked

(with a free license and no proprietary components): closed-source, proprietary

hyponyms

half-open

open-air

open-and-shut

open-armed

open-arse

open-collar

open-door

open-ended

open-eyed

open-face

open-faced

openhanded

open-handed

open-hearted

open-hearth

open-kneed

open-mouthed

open-plan

open-work

Etimology


From Middle English openen, from Old English openian (“to open”), from Proto-West Germanic *opanōn, from Proto-Germanic *upanōną (“to raise; lift; open”), from Proto-Germanic *upanaz (“open”, adjective). Cognate with Saterland Frisian eepenje (“to open”), West Frisian iepenje (“to open”), Dutch openen (“to open”), German öffnen (“to open”), Danish åbne (“to open”), Swedish öppna (“to open”), Norwegian Bokmål åpne (“to open”), Norwegian Nynorsk and Icelandic opna (“to open”). Related to English up.

verb


open (third-person singular simple present opens, present participle opening, simple past and past participle opened)

(transitive) To make something accessible or allow for passage by moving from a shut position.

(transitive) To make (an open space, etc.) by clearing away an obstacle or obstacles, in order to allow for passage, access, or visibility.

(transitive, intransitive, engineering, gas and liquid flow, of valve or damper) To move to a position allowing fluid to flow.

(transitive, intransitive, electricity, of a switch, fuse or circuit breaker) To move to a position preventing electricity from flowing.

(Manglish, Philippines) To turn on; to switch on.

(transitive) To bring up, broach.

(transitive) To enter upon, begin.

(transitive) To spread; to expand into an open or loose position.

(transitive) To make accessible to customers or clients.

(transitive) To start (a campaign).

(intransitive) To become open.

(intransitive) To begin conducting business.

(intransitive) To perform before others at a concert or show.

(intransitive, cricket) To begin a side's innings as one of the first two batsmen.

(intransitive, poker) To bet before any other player has in a particular betting round in a game of poker.

(transitive, intransitive, poker) To reveal one's hand.

(computing, transitive, intransitive) To connect to a resource (a file, document, etc.) for viewing or editing.

(transitive, nursing) To make (a bed) ready for a patient by folding back the bedcovers.

(obsolete) To disclose; to reveal; to interpret; to explain.

Examples


Turn the doorknob to open the door.

I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. […] The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.

‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’

He opened a path through the undergrowth.

He had kept on recording everything then, when he had been sure he was going to die, and he went on recording everything now, when he was suddenly consumed with hate for the boy in his arms and overwhelmed by a desire to put something—his motorcycle key would do nicely — into the interfering little prayboy’s throat and open him like a can of beer.

Open your webcam. ― Turn on your webcam.

Open the fan please. ― Please switch on the fan.

Open the lights please. ― Please turn on the lights.

I don't want to open that subject.

to open a discussion

to open fire upon an enemy

to open trade, or correspondence

to open a case in court, or a meeting

to open a closed fist

to open matted cotton by separating the fibres

to open a map, book, or scroll

I will open the shop an hour early tomorrow.

Suiping was opened as a main station in 1912 when Rev. H. M. Nesse arrived to take charge of the mission work.

Vermont will open elk hunting season next week.

The door opened all by itself.

I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.

The shop opens at 9:00.

Our band opened for Nirvana.

After the first two players fold, Julie opens for $5.

Jeff opens his hand revealing a straight flush.

Follow agency policy, or open the bed by folding the top linens back.

The king opened himself to some of his council, that he was sorry for the earl's death.

Unto thee have I opened my cause.

Related words


synonyms

(to make accessible): unseal

(to bring up): raise

(to enter upon): start; see also Thesaurus:begin

(to disclose): bare; see also Thesaurus:reveal

antonyms

(to make accessible): bare, shut

hyponyms

(to make accessible): crack (open a bit)

Etimology


From Middle English open (“an aperture or opening”), from the verb (see Etymology 2 above). In the sports sense, however, a shortening of “open competition”.

noun


open (plural opens)

(in the definite) Open or unobstructed space; an exposed location.

(in the definite) Public knowledge or scrutiny; full view.

(electronics) A defect in an electrical circuit preventing current from flowing.

A sports event in which anybody can compete.

The act of something being opened, such as an e-mail message.

Examples


I can't believe you left the lawnmower out in the open when you knew it was going to rain this afternoon!

Wary of hunters, the fleeing deer kept well out of the open, dodging instead from thicket to thicket.

We have got to bring this company's corrupt business practices into the open.

The electrician found the open in the circuit after a few minutes of testing.

the Australian Open

The total number of opens from original, or unique, subscribers.

Data provided by Wiktionary