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
Chicago River Swim raises money for ALS research The race was organized by A Long Swim, which raises money for ALS research by staging open water swims throughout the United States.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Some of her concerns exist because the pipeline sits in the open water of the Great Lakes and has been damaged multiple times by ship’s anchors, is subject to corrosion, and has been found to be bent and deformed by the extremely powerful currents in the Straits of Mackinac.
—Mike Shriberg, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
There is nothing quite like the thrill of spotting a dorsal fin slicing through open water or watching a pod leap through the surf beside your boat.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
Some species may cover 23 miles in a day, while others push through 500 miles at once, often over open water with no food or shelter.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
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Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Some of her concerns exist because the pipeline sits in the open water of the Great Lakes and has been damaged multiple times by ship’s anchors, is subject to corrosion, and has been found to be bent and deformed by the extremely powerful currents in the Straits of Mackinac.
—Mike Shriberg, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2025
There is nothing quite like the thrill of spotting a dorsal fin slicing through open water or watching a pod leap through the surf beside your boat.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
Some species may cover 23 miles in a day, while others push through 500 miles at once, often over open water with no food or shelter.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
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 30 Sep. 2025.
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