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

Lake effect snow occurs when cold air moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes creating snowfall, said Lily Chapman, a meteorologist at the NWS Forecast office in Marquette. —Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 12 Dec. 2024

The National Weather Service defines lake effect snow as occurring when cold air, mostly from Canada, flows across the open waters of the Great Lakes. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Another possibility is lake effect snow, which occurs when cold air moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes. —Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank near Whitefish Point, Michigan, which means the wind was traveling over open water for roughly 250 miles, creating massive waves. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above