- (v.i.) To expand; to spread out; to be disclosed; as, the harbor opened to our view.
- (n.) Open or unobstructed space; clear land, without trees or obstructions; open ocean; open water.
- (v.i.) To unclose; to form a hole, breach or gap; to be unclosed; to be parted.
- (v.i.) To begin; to commence; as, the stock opened at par; the battery opened upon the enemy.
- (a.) Produced by an open string; as, an open tone.
- (v.i.) To bark on scent or view of the game.
- (v.t.) To spread; to expand; as, to open the hand.
- (v.t.) To disclose; to reveal; to interpret; to explain.
- (a.) Not drawn together, closed or contracted; extended; expanded; as, an open hand; open arms; an open flower; an open prospect.
- (a.) Not closed or stopped with the finger; -- said of the string of an instrument, as of a violin, when it is allowed to vibrate throughout its whole length.
- (a.) Free of access; not shut up; not closed; affording unobstructed ingress or egress; not impeding or preventing passage; not locked up or covered over; -- applied to passageways; as, an open door, window, road, etc.; also, to inclosed structures or objects; as, open houses, boxes, baskets, bottles, etc.; also, to means of communication or approach by water or land; as, an open harbor or roadstead.
- (v.t.) 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.
- (a.) Free to be used, enjoyed, visited or the like; not private; public; unrestricted in use; as, an open library, museum, court or other assembly; liable to the approach, trespass or attack of any one; unprotected; exposed.
- (a.) Uttered with a relatively wide opening of the articulating organs; -- said of vowels; as, the an far is open as compared with the a in say.
- (a.) Without reserve or false pretense; sincere; characterized by sincerity; unfeigned; frank; also, generous; liberal; bounteous; -- applied to personal appearance or character, and to the expression of thought and feeling, etc.
- (a.) Not of a quality to prevent communication, as by closing water ways, blocking roads, etc.; hence, not frosty or inclement; mild; -- used of the weather or the climate; as, an open season; an open winter.
- (a.) Free; disengaged; unappropriated; as, to keep a day open for any purpose; to be open for an engagement.
- (v.t.) To make known; to discover; also, to render available or accessible for settlements, trade, etc.
- (a.) Not concealed or secret; not hidden or disguised; exposed to view or to knowledge; revealed; apparent; as, open schemes or plans; open shame or guilt.
- (v.t.) To loosen or make less compact; as, to open matted cotton by separating the fibers.
- (a.) Free or cleared of obstruction to progress or to view; accessible; as, an open tract; the open sea.
- (a.) Not settled or adjusted; not decided or determined; not closed or withdrawn from consideration; as, an open account; an open question; to keep an offer or opportunity open.
- (v.t.) 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.
- (a.) Uttered, as a consonant, with the oral passage simply narrowed without closure, as in uttering s.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). open. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/open/definitions/2038958 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "open" http://smartdefine.org/open/definitions/2038958 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, open, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/open/definitions/2038958>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "open" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/open/definitions/2038958> |