King James Bible Dictionary

OPEN, a o'pn.

1. Unclosed; not shut; as, the gate is open; an open door or window; an open book; open eyes.

2. Spread; expanded. He received his son with open arms.

3. Unsealed; as an open letter.

4. Not shut or fast; as an open hand.

5. Not covered; as the open air; an open vessel.

6. Not covered with trees; clear; as an open country or field.

7. Not stopped; as an open bottle.

8. Not fenced or obstructed; as an open road.

9. Not frosty; warmer than usual; not freezing severely; as an open winter.

An open and warm winter portendeth a hot and dry summer.

Johnson interprets open in this passage, by not cloudy, not gloomy. I think the definition wrong. In America, an open winter is one in which the earth is not bound with frost and covered with snow.

10. Public; before a court and its suitors. His testimony was given in open court.

11. Admitting all persons without restraint; free to all comers. He keeps open house at the election.

12. Clear of ice; as, the river or the harbor is open

13. Plain; apparent; evident; public; not secret or concealed; as an open declaration; open avowal; open shame; open defiance. The nations contend to open war or in open arms.

14. Not wearing disguise; frank; sincere; unreserved; candid; artless.

He was held a man open and of good faith.

His generous, open undesigning heart.

15. Not clouded; not contracted or frowning; having an air of frankness and sincerity; as an open look.

With aspect open shall erect his head.

16. Not hidden; exposed to view.

We are to exercise our thoughts and lay open the treasures of divine truth.

17. Ready to hear or receive what is offered.

His ears are open to their cry. Psalms 34:15.

18. Free to be employed for redress; not restrained or denied; not precluding any person.

The law is open Acts 19:38.

19. Exposed; not protected; without defense. The country is open to the invaders.

- Hath left me open to all injuries.

20. Attentive; employed in inspection.

Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men - Jeremiah 32:11.

21. Clear; unobstructed; as an open view.

22. Unsettled; not balanced or closed; as an open account.

OPEN accounts between merchants.

23. Not closed; free to be debated; as a question open for discussion.

24. In music, an open note is that which a string is tuned to produce.

OPEN, verb transitive o'pn.

1. To unclose; to unbar; to unlock; to remove any fastening or cover and set open; as, to open a door or gate; to open a desk.

2. To break the seal of a letter and unfold it.

3. To separate parts that are close; as, to open the lips; to open the mouth or eyes or eyelids; to open a book.

4. To remove a covering from; as, to open a pit.

5. To cut through; to perforate; to lance; as, to open the skin; to open an abscess.

6. To break; to divide; to split or rend; as, the earth was opened in many places by an earthquake; a rock is opened by blasting.

7. To clear; to make by removing obstructions; as, to open a road; to open a passage; the heat of spring opens rivers bound with ice.

8. To spread; to expand; as, to open the hand.

9. To unstop; as, to open a bottle.

10. To begin; to make the first exhibition. The attorney general opens the cause on the part of the king or the state. Homer opens his poem with the utmost simplicity and modesty.

11. To show; to bring to view or knowledge.

The English did adventure far to open the north parts of America.

12. To interpret; to explain.

- While he opened to us the Scriptures. Luke 24:31.

13. To reveal; to disclose. He opened his mind very freely.

14. To make liberal; as, to open the heart.

15. To make the first discharge of artillery; as, to open a heavy fire on the enemy.

16. To enter on or begin; as to open a negotiation or correspondence; to open a trade with the Indies.

17. To begin to see by the removal of something intercepted the view; as, we sailed round the point and opened the harbor.

OPEN, verb intransitive o'pn.

1. To unclose itself; to be unclosed; to be parted.

The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. Psalms 106:17.

2. To begin to appear. As we sailed round the point, the harbor opened to our view.

3. To commence; to begin. sales of stock open at par.

4. To bark; a term in hunting.

Genesis 38:14, 21, mar. Enaim; the same probably as Enam (Joshua 15:34), a city in the lowland or Shephelah.

OPENED, participle passive o'pned. Unclosed; unbarred; unsealed; uncovered; revealed; disclosed; made plain; freed from obstruction.

OPENER, noun o'pner.

1. One that opens or removed any fastening or covering.

2. One that explains; an interpreter.

3. That which separates; that which rends.

4. An aperient in medicine.

OPENEYED, adjective o'pneyed. Watchful; vigilant.

OPENHANDED, adjective o'pnhanded. Generous; liberal; munificent.

OPENHE'ARTED, adjective o'pnharted. Candid; frank; generous.

OPENHE'ARTEDLY, adverb With frankness; without reserve.

OPENHE'ARTEDNESS, noun Frankness; candor; sincerity; munificence; generosity.

OPENING, participle present tense o'pning. Unclosing; unsealing; uncovering; revealing; interpreting.

OPENING, noun o'pning.

1. A breach; an aperture; a hole or perforation.

2. A place admitting entrance; as a bay or creek.

3. Dawn; first appearance or visibleness; beginning of exhibition or discovery.

The opening of your glory was like that of light.

OPENLY, adverb o'pnly.

1. Publicly; not in private; without secrecy; as, to avow our sins and follies openly

How grossly and openly do many of us contradict the precepts of the gospel by our ungodliness and worldly lusts!

2. Plainly; evidently; without reserve or disguise.

OPENMOUTHED, adjective o'pnmouthed. Greedy; ravenous; clamorous; as an open-mouthed lion.

OPENNESS, noun o'pnness.

1. Freedom from covering or obstruction; as the openness of a country.

2. Plainness; clearness; freedom from obscurity or ambiguity; as, deliver your answers with more openness

3. Freedom from disguise; unreservedness; plainness.

4. Expression of frankness or candor; as openness of countenance.

5. Unusual mildness; freedom from snow and frost; as the openness of a winter.