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

That’s someone treading open water who has figured out that the only way not to drown is to never stop kicking. — Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

By 2019, the Delta’s open water had hit its lowest level in 20 years. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026

The superintendent went on to remind people about the serious risks of open water. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026

Docks line the emerald shoreline, boats pull skiers and inner tubes across open water and the Blue Ridge foothills give the whole scene a polished Appalachian backdrop. — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for open water

• imprimatur
• underwater
• auteur
• blotter
• cotter
• daughter
• hotter
• mater
• otter
• plotter
• rotter
• slaughter