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
On the other hand, larger sharks or those living in open water wouldn’t face the same risk and could hang onto TLR without much cost.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
This eyewear is designed for tracking a range of metrics both in the pool and out in open water, including heart rate via an optical sensor near your temple, pace, stroke rate, time, distance, calories burned, stroke count, distance per stroke, and split times.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 19 July 2025
Shark cages are not permitted for swimmers in the open water.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 18 July 2025
For fishing open water, there are usually better topwater options.
—Kristine Fischer, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2025
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Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
This eyewear is designed for tracking a range of metrics both in the pool and out in open water, including heart rate via an optical sensor near your temple, pace, stroke rate, time, distance, calories burned, stroke count, distance per stroke, and split times.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 19 July 2025
Shark cages are not permitted for swimmers in the open water.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 18 July 2025
For fishing open water, there are usually better topwater options.
—Kristine Fischer, Outdoor Life, 25 June 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 29 Jul. 2025.
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