• Open

    Pronunciation

    • RP enPR: ō'pÉ™n, IPA: /ˈəʊ.pÉ™n/
    • US enPR: ō'pÉ™n, IPA: /ˈoÊŠ.pÉ™n/
    • Rhymes: -əʊpÉ™n

    Origin

    From Middle English open, from Old English open ("open"), from Proto-Germanic *upanaz ("open"), from Proto-Indo-European *upo ("up from under, over"). Cognate with Scots open ("open"), Saterland Frisian eepen ("open"), West Frisian iepen ("open"), Dutch open ("open"), Low German open, apen ("open"), German offen ("open"), Swedish öppen ("open"), Norwegian open ("open"), Icelandic opinn ("open"). Compare also Latin supinus ("on one's back, supine"), Albanian hap ("to open"). Related to up.

    Full definition of open

    Adjective

    open

    1. (not comparable) Which is not closed; accessible; unimpeded; as, an open gate.
      • 1908, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, Chapter 2The open road, the dusty highway...
      • 2013-07-20, The attack of the MOOCs, Since the launch early last year of … two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.
    2. Turn left after the second open door.
      It was as if his body had gone to sleep standing up and with his eyes open.
    3. Not drawn together, closed, or contracted; extended; expanded.an open hand; an open flower; an open prospect
      • DrydenEach, with open arms, embraced her chosen knight.
    4. (not comparable) Actively conducting or prepared to conduct business.
      Banks are not open on bank holidays.
    5. (comparable) Receptive.
      I am open to new ideas.
      • Bible, Acts xix. 33If Demetrius ... have a matter against any man, the law is open and there are deputies.
      • ShakespeareThe service that I truly did his life,
        Hath left me open to all injuries.
    6. (not comparable) Public; as, an open letter, an open declaration.
      He published an open letter to the governor on a full page of the New York Times.
      • ShakespeareHis thefts are too open.
      • MiltonThat I may find him, and with secret gaze
        Or open admiration him behold.
    7. (not comparable) Candid, ingenuous, not subtle in character.
      The man is an open book.
      • Alexander Popewith aspect open, shall erect his head
      • ShakespeareThe Moor is of a free and open nature.
      • AddisonThe French are always open, familiar, and talkative.
    8. (mathematics, logic, of a formula) Having a free variable.
    9. (mathematics, topology, of a set) Which is part of a predefined collection of subsets of X, that defines a topological space on X.
    10. (computing, not comparable, of a file, document, etc.) In current use; mapped to part of memory.
      I couldn't save my changes because another user had the same file open.
    11. (business) Not fulfilled.
      I've got open orders for as many containers of red durum as you can get me.
    12. Not settled or adjusted; not decided or determined; not closed or withdrawn from consideration.an open questionto keep an offer or opportunity open
    13. (music, stringed instruments) Without any fingers pressing the string against the fingerboard.
    14. Not of a quality to prevent communication, as by closing waterways, blocking roads, etc.; hence, not frosty or inclement; mild; used of the weather or the climate.an open winter
    15. (phonetics) Uttered with a relatively wide opening of the articulating organs; said of vowels.
    16. (phonetics) Uttered, as a consonant, with the oral passage simply narrowed without closure.

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

    Terms derived from the adjective "open"

    Verb

    1. (transitive) To make something accessible or remove an obstacle to its being accessible.
      • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 7, I made a speaking trumpet of my hands and commenced to whoop “Ahoy!” and “Hello!” at the top of my lungs. … The Colonel woke up, and, after asking what in brimstone was the matter, opened his mouth and roared “Hi!” and “Hello!” like the bull of Bashan.
      • 1963, Margery Allingham, The China Governess Chapter 20, ‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’
    2. Turn the doorknob to open the door.
      He opened a path through the undergrowth.
    3. (transitive) To bring up (a topic).
      I don't want to open that subject.
    4. (transitive) To make accessible to customers or clients.
      I will open the shop an hour early tomorrow.
    5. (transitive) To start (a campaign).
      Vermont will open elk hunting season next week.
    6. (intransitive) To become open.
      • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.
    7. The door opened all by itself.
    8. (intransitive) To begin conducting business.
      The shop opens at 9:00.
    9. To enter upon; to begin.to open a discussion; to open fire upon an enemy; to open trade, or correspondence; to open a case in court, or a meeting
    10. (intransitive, cricket) To begin a side's innings as one of the first two batsmen.
    11. (intransitive, poker) To bet before any other player has in a particular betting round in a game of poker.
      After the first two players fold, Julie opens for $5.
    12. (transitive, intransitive, poker) To reveal one's hand.
      Jeff opens his hand revealing a straight flush.
    13. (computing, transitive, intransitive, of a file, document, etc.) To load into memory for viewing or editing.
    14. To spread; to expand into an open or loose position.to open a closed fistto open matted cotton by separating the fibres
    15. (obsolete) To disclose; to reveal; to interpret; to explain.
      • Francis BaconThe king opened himself to some of his council, that he was sorry for the earl's death.
      • Bible, Jer. xx. 12Unto thee have I opened my cause.

    Antonyms

    Derived terms

    Terms derived from open (verb)

    Noun

    open

    (plural opens)
    1. A sports event in which anybody can compete; as, the Australian Open.
    2. (electronics) a wire that is broken midway.The electrician found the open in the circuit after a few minutes of testing.
    3. (with the) Open or unobstructed space; an exposed location.I can't believe you left the lawnmower out in the open when you knew it was going to rain this afternoon!Wary of hunters, the fleeing deer kept well out of the open, dodging instead from thicket to thicket.
    4. (with the) Public knowledge or scrutiny; full view.We have got to bring this company's corrupt business practices into the open.

    Anagrams

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