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

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

Polynyas were areas of persistent open water, found throughout the circumpolar arctic, places kept ice-free by currents and wind patterns.

—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

Examples of open water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What used to be open water was heading towards alluvium, and oblivion. —Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2026

Located on the lake’s northwestern shore, the primarily residential township is widely regarded as one of Michigan’s premier boating communities, where canals, marinas and open water shape everyday life, writes Brendel Clark. —Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 14 Mar. 2026

Finland, separated from Estonia by only 50 miles or so of open water, provides a bastion of support — and another potential threat to Putin’s hometown. —Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026

As the Coast Starlight approaches the Bay Area, the train glides past marshlands, open water, and distant city skylines before continuing toward California’s Central Coast. —Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for open water

• annunciator
• imprimatur
• underwater
• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater