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
The bridges and the roadway allow motorists to travel over the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Florida Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2025
The five-bedroom home faces open water deep enough to dock large boats and yachts—a rarity in the community where most properties face shallower channels.
—Mary Forgione, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Biscayne National Park, Florida A coastal park located in south Florida where the mainland transitions to the Keys, Biscayne National Park is a collection of islands, mangroves, coral reefs, and open water that’s largely inaccessible except by boat.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 21 Jan. 2025
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance reports that most of those drownings happen in open water, like a creek.
—Rhiannon Saegert, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open water
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Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 26 Mar. 2025
The five-bedroom home faces open water deep enough to dock large boats and yachts—a rarity in the community where most properties face shallower channels.
—Mary Forgione, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
Biscayne National Park, Florida A coastal park located in south Florida where the mainland transitions to the Keys, Biscayne National Park is a collection of islands, mangroves, coral reefs, and open water that’s largely inaccessible except by boat.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 21 Jan. 2025
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance reports that most of those drownings happen in open water, like a creek.
—Rhiannon Saegert, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 2025.
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