oˈpener noun

oˈpening noun

1. The act of causing to be, or of becoming, open
2. An open place
3. An aperture
4. A gap
5. A street or road breaking the line of another
6. A beginning
7. A first stage
8. A preliminary statement of a case in court
9. The initial moves, or mode of beginning, in a game, etc
10. An event at which a new exhibition, shop, display, etc, is first opened to the public
11. The first performance of a play, etc
12. The two pages exposed together when a book is opened
13. An opportunity for action
14. A vacancy

adjective

1. Occurring at the beginning (of something)
2. Initial
3. Causing to become open

oˈpenly adverb

oˈpenness noun

open access noun

Free and unlimited access, eg to a library or material on the Internet

open-acc'ess adjective

open adoption noun

Adoption of a child with continued contact with the true parents

open aestivation noun (botany)

Aestivation without overlap or meeting of the edges of the perianth leaves

open-airˈ adjective

Outdoor

open-and-shutˈ adjective

Simple, obvious, easily decided

open-armedˈ adjective

Cordially welcoming

open book noun

Anything that can be read or interpreted without difficulty

open borstal noun

Formerly, a borstal run on the same lines as an open prison (qv below)

Open Brethren plural noun

That section of the Plymouth Brethren whose members are allowed to associate fully with non-members

open bundle noun (botany)

A vascular bundle with cambium

oˈpen-cast noun (mining)

An open excavation in the land surface (also adjective and adverb)

open-chainˈ adjective (chem)

With atoms linked together like a chain with loose ends

open cheque noun

An uncrossed cheque which can be used to obtain cash on demand from a bank, etc

open circuit noun

1. An electrical circuit broken so that current cannot pass
2. In television, the customary system in which the showing is for general, not restricted, viewing

open court noun

A court proceeding in public

open day noun

A day on which an institution (esp a school) is open to the public, usu with organized exhibitions or events

open diapason noun

One of the chief foundation stops of an organ

open door noun

1. Free and equal opportunity of trading for all
2. Unrestricted admission or immigration

open-doorˈ adjective

open economy noun

One involved in overseas trade

open-endˈ or open-endˈed adjective

1. Not closely defined, general and adaptable to suit various contingencies
2. (of a question, debate, etc) allowing free unguided answers or expressions of opinion
3. (of an investment trust) offering shares in unlimited numbers, redeemable on demand
4. (open-endˈed) without fixed limits

open-endˈedness noun

oˈpen-eyed adjective

1. Astonished
2. Fully aware of what is involved
3. Watchful (Shakespeare)

oˈpen-field adjective

Having the arable land in unenclosed strips held by different cultivators

open fire noun

An exposed fire on a domestic hearth

open-handˈed adjective

1. With an open hand
2. Generous
3. Liberal

open-handˈedly adverb

open-handˈedness noun

open harmony noun (music)

Chords not in close position

open-heartˈed adjective

1. With an open heart
2. Frank
3. Generous

open-heartˈedly adverb

open-heartˈedness noun

oˈpen-hearth adjective (metallurgy)

Making use of, or having, a shallow hearth of reverberating type

open-heart surgery noun

Surgery performed on a heart that has been stopped and opened up while blood circulation is maintained by a heart-lung machine

open house noun

Hospitality to all comers

opening time noun

The time when bars, public houses, etc, can begin selling alcoholic drinks

open-jawˈ adjective and noun

(of or relating to) a round-trip aircraft ticket or flight that allows the passenger to embark on the return flight at a different airport from the one to which he or she originally travelled

open learning noun

A system of learning based on individual study rather than formal classroom sessions, and using specially designed programmes of printed material, audio and video tapes, electronic media, etc

open letter noun

A letter addressed to one person but intended for public reading

open market noun

A market in which buyers and sellers compete without restriction

open marriage noun

A form of marriage that allows the partners social and sexual independence

open-micˈ or open-mikeˈ adjective

Denoting an event, eg at a comedy club, at which members of the public are encouraged to perform

open mind noun

1. Freedom from prejudice
2. Readiness to receive and consider new ideas

open-mindˈed adjective

open-mindˈedly adverb

open-mindˈedness noun

open-mouthedˈ adjective

1. Gaping
2. Expectant
3. Greedy
4. Clamorous
5. Surprised, astonished

open note noun (music)

1. A note produced by an unstopped string, open pipe, or without a crook, etc
2. A printed or written note without a solid black head, a semibreve or minim (US)

open order noun

Spaced-out formation for drill, etc

open-planˈ adjective

Having few or no internal walls, partitions, etc

open-plan house noun

One whose rooms run from front to back with windows on both faces

open primary noun

(in US politics) a primary election in which all registered voters may participate

open prison noun

A prison without the usual close security, allowing prisoners considerably more freedom of movement than in conventional prisons

open question noun

1. A matter undecided
2. A question formed so as to elicit a full response or an opinion rather than a yes or no answer

oˈpen-reel adjective

(of a tape recorder) reel-to-reel

open sandwich noun

One that has no bread, etc, on top

open score noun (music)

One with a separate stave for each part

open sea noun

Unenclosed sea, clear of headlands

open season noun

A time of the year when one may kill certain game or fish (also figurative)

open secret noun

A matter known to many but not explicitly divulged

open sesame noun

A spell or other means of making barriers fly open (from the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves in the Arabian Nights)

open shop noun

A place of work not confined to union labour

open side noun (rugby)

The part of the field between the scrum, etc, and the farther touch-line

open sights plural noun (shooting)

In aiming, the eye unaided by the sights, usu in shooting at close range

open skies plural noun

1. The open air
2. Reciprocal freedom for aerial inspection of military establishments
3. Unrestricted use of esp commercial airports and airways

open-sourceˈ adjective (computing)

Denoting a form of licensing by which software is made freely available for use and the source code can be extended or amended by third parties

oˈpen-stitch (Scot oˈpen-steek) noun

A kind of open-work stitching

open system noun (computing)

A network system complying with a set of international standards allowing general accessibility

oˈpen-top or oˈpen-topped adjective

(esp of a vehicle) without a roof or having an open top

open town noun

One without troops or military installations, and hence, according to international law, immune from attack of any kind

open university noun

(also with caps) a British university (founded in 1969) having no fixed entry qualifications, whose teaching is carried out by correspondence and by radio and television, etc

open verdict noun

1. A verdict in a coroner's court that death has occurred, without specifying the cause
2. A verdict that a crime has been committed, without specifying the criminal

oˈpen-weave adjective and noun

(made of) a loosely woven fabric with visible spaces between the threads

oˈpenwork noun

Any work showing openings through it, eg in embroidery

adjective

Open-cast

open fire

To begin to shoot

open out

1. To make or become more widely open
2. To expand
3. To disclose
4. To unpack
5. To develop
6. To bring into view
7. To open the throttle, accelerate

open up

1. To open thoroughly or more thoroughly
2. To lay open
3. To disclose
4. To make available for traffic, colonization, etc
5. To accelerate
6. To begin firing
7. To become more communicative

with open arms

Cordially