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

Whilst forecast snowfall varied from state to state, in parts of New York, the NWS said up to 8 inches of lake effect snow accumulation was possible, which the service says occurs when cold air moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025

Only accessible by boat or seaplane, the park is roughly 99 percent open water (really!), vibrantly blue, and filled with stunning coral reefs. —Kara Franker, Southern Living, 10 Jan. 2025

That cold dry air over warmer open water causes evaporation, providing moisture for lake-effect snow. —Richard B. (ricky) Rood, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2025

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, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined above