Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin:

open

1 adjective
     
Related topics: Trade, Clothes
o‧pen1 S1 W1
1

door/container etc

not closed, so that things, people, air etc can go in and out or be put in and out [≠ closed, shut]:
He threw the door open and ran down the stairs.
an open window
The gates swung silently open.
The bar door flew open and a noisy group burst in.
All the windows were wide open (=completely open).
She looked at the open suitcase with surprise.
There was an open bottle of wine on the table.
2

eyes/mouth

not closed, so that your eyelids or your lips are apart:
I was so sleepy, I couldn't keep my eyes open.
He was fast asleep with his mouth wide open.
3

not enclosed

[only before noun] not enclosed, or with no buildings, walls, trees etc:
There was open ground at the end of the lane.
open spaces such as parks and gardens
open countryside/country
At weekends people want to leave the town for open countryside.
A shoal of fish swam past heading for the open sea (=part of the sea away from land).
The car's performance is good, especially going fast on the open road (=a road without traffic where you can drive fast).
4

not covered

without a roof or cover:
The president was riding with his wife in an open car.
Martin was struggling with the sails on the open deck.
an open drain
open to the sky/air/elements
Many of the tombs had been robbed and left open to the sky.
5

the open air

outdoors
in the open air
The dancing was outside, in the open air.
Jane wanted to rush to the door and get out into the open air.
 ➔ open-air
6

business/building etc

[not before noun]BBT ready for business and allowing customers, visitors etc to enter [≠ closed, shut]:
The museum is open daily in the summer months.
The offices are also open at weekends.
After the security alert, most of the firms affected were open for business on Monday morning.
The villagers are anxious that their local school is kept open.
I declare this exhibition open (=officially say that it is now open).
7

not restricted

allowing everyone, or everyone in a group, to take part in something, know about something, or have a chance to win something
open to
The competition is open to all readers in the UK.
In many schools, governors' meetings are not open to the public.
The discussion was then thrown open for the audience's questions.
an open meeting
The men's race appears wide open (=anyone could win it).
The painting would fetch several hundred dollars on the open market (=a market in which anyone can buy or sell).
8

opportunity

[not before noun] if an opportunity, possible action, job etc is open to you, you have the chance to do it:
The job is being kept open for her.
open to
The 1960s was a period when greater opportunities were open to women.
So what other options are open to us?
There is only one course of action open to the local authority.
9

not secret

[only before noun] actions, feelings, intentions etc that are open are not hidden or secret:
Her father watched her with open admiration.
open hostility between the two nations
The party was calling for more open government (=when the government makes information freely available).
The case will be tried in open court (=in a court where everything is public).
It is an open secret (=it is supposed to be secret, but most people know about it) that she is having an affair with another man.
10

honest

honest and not wanting to hide any facts from other people
open with
The couple are quite open with each other about their feelings.
open about
She was quite open about her ambitions.
his friendly, open manner
11

clothes

DCC not fastened:
the open neck of his shirt
She was wearing an open jacket.
12

not yet decided

needing more discussion or thought before a decision can be made:
The matter remains an open question.
open to
The new rates of pay are open to negotiation.
The test results are open to interpretation.
keep/leave your options open
Officers investigating her death are keeping their options open.
13

open to something

a) likely to suffer from something or be affected by something:
The magazine's editor is open to criticism in allowing the article to be printed.
The regulations are open to abuse by companies.
He has left himself open to accusations of dishonesty.
b) willing to consider something new or to accept something new:
Teachers need to be open to children's ideas.
The committee is open to suggestions.
The owners of the building want to sell and are open to offers.
14

not blocked

TTRTC if a road or line of communication is open, it is not blocked and can be used:
We try to keep the mountain roads open all through the winter.
15

spread apart

spread apart instead of closed, curled over, etc:
At night the flowers were open.
Johnson raised an open hand.
He was sitting in bed with a book lying open (=with its pages apart so it can be read) on his knees.
16

an open mind

if you have an open mind, you deliberately do not make a decision or form a definite opinion about something:
It's important to keep an open mind as you study the topic.
17

be open to question/doubt

if something is open to question, there are doubts about it:
Whether the new situation is an improvement is open to question.
18

welcome/greet somebody/something with open arms

to be very pleased to see someone or something:
Mike will be welcomed back into the team with open arms.
19

an open invitation

a) an invitation to visit someone whenever you like
b) something that makes it easier for criminals to steal, cheat etc
an open invitation to
The lack of security measures provides an open invitation to crime.
20

be an open book

to be something that you know and understand very well:
The natural world was an open book to him.
21

the door is open

there is an opportunity for someone to do something
the door is open to
Schoolgirls are being told that the door is open to them to pursue careers in science.
22

keep your eyes/ears open

to keep looking or listening so that you will notice anything that is important, dangerous etc
23

open weave/texture

TIM cloth with an open weave or texture has wide spaces between the threads

➔ keep an eye open (for something)

at eye1 (14)

; ➔ with your eyes open

at eye1 (19), open-eyed
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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