open water
noun
plural open waters
: water that is clear of obstacles to passage or view : water that is open (see open entry 1 sense 7a)
The word marsh conjures up a mental picture of a soggy, flat area filled with cattails and other herbaceous vegetation, with ducks sitting on patches of open water.—
Robert H. Mohlenbrock
Robert H. Mohlenbrock
often, specifically
: water that is free of ice
When the river froze in the fall, a mile of open water had been left between two mighty jams. —Jack London
Jack London Polynyas were areas of persistent open water, found throughout the circumpolar arctic, places kept ice-free by currents and wind patterns. —David R. Masiel
David R. Masiel Because the penguins feed in the ocean, they typically set up colonies near open water and must establish new nests when the coastline becomes covered in … ice. —Science News
Science News Examples of open water in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The three-walleye limit takes effect with the open water season opener on May 9.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 May 2026
But some experts warned that Timmy's health had been compromised to the point that a return to open waters might simply delay the animal's inevitable death and prolong its suffering.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 2 May 2026
The wind and waves that hit us had more than 10 miles of open water over which to build force, and Missinaibi’s canyonlike surroundings had funneled the storm directly upon Fairy Point.
—Jim Hoagland, Outdoor Life, 30 Apr. 2026
What to read next Regent’s Canal, London, England Don’t fancy the open water?
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for open water
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Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 May 2026
But some experts warned that Timmy's health had been compromised to the point that a return to open waters might simply delay the animal's inevitable death and prolong its suffering.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 2 May 2026
The wind and waves that hit us had more than 10 miles of open water over which to build force, and Missinaibi’s canyonlike surroundings had funneled the storm directly upon Fairy Point.
—Jim Hoagland, Outdoor Life, 30 Apr. 2026
What to read next Regent’s Canal, London, England Don’t fancy the open water?
—Will Barker, TheWeek, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for open water
Cite this Entry
“Open water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20water. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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