English

Noun

open water ‎(usually uncountable, plural open waters)

1. An expanse of an ocean, sea, or large lake which is distant from shore and devoid of nearby islands or other obstructions.
   • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, ch. 13:

     Gaining the more open water, the bracing breeze waxed fresh; the little Moss tossed the quick foam from her bows, as a young colt his snortings.

2. In a river, pond, or other small body of water, an area of surface unobstructed by aquatic vegetation, boulders, and the like, adequate for navigation or swimming.
   • 1916, Joseph A. Altsheler, The Hunters of the Hills, ch. 1:

     Willet sent the canoe through the open water between the tall reeds.

3. (chiefly Canada) An area of an ocean, sea, lake, or river which is not covered by ice.
   • 2005, "Seasonal Summary for the Canadian Arctic, Summer 2005," Canadian Ice Service, Government of Canada, 6 Dec, p. 1 (retrieved 14 Mar. 2008):

     At the end of June, James Bay was generally open water except for loose ice persisting over its northwestern section.

Translations

See also

• open sea