OPEN


Meaning of OPEN in English

I. adjective

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

a competition is open to sb (= used to say who can enter a competition )

The competition is open to artists between 16 and 25 years old.

a door flies/bursts open (= opens very suddenly and quickly )

Then the door burst open and two men with guns came in.

a door opens/closes/shuts

We were still waiting for the train doors to open.

a door slides open/shut (= moves smoothly to the side or back again )

The lift doors slid open and we got in.

a door swings open/shut (= moves forward to open or backwards to shut )

The door swung shut behind me.

a key unlocks/opens sth

The largest key unlocks the front door.

a naked/an open flame (= not enclosed with a cover )

Never use a naked flame near spray paint.

a play opens (= its performances start )

The play opens in San Francisco on Wednesday for a three-week run.

a public/open meeting (= that anyone can go to )

A public meeting was held to discuss the proposal to build a new school.

a road is open (= it is not closed or blocked )

We try to keep the mountain road open for most of the year.

a trial opens (= officially begins )

The trial opened 5 weeks ago.

an open competition (= that everyone can take part in )

An open competition is to be held at the tennis club.

an open container (= that has been opened or that does not have a lid )

Don't keep food in open containers in the fridge.

an open ditch (= not covered )

The horse had to jump over an open ditch.

an open evening (= an evening when an institution invites the public to come in and see the work that is done there )

We went to the open evening to find out more about the course.

an open field

I saw a fox run across the open field.

an open fire (= a fire in a room that is not inside a stove etc )

Sophie warmed herself by the open fire.

an open grave (= one that has not yet been covered in earth )

He wept by her open grave.

an open prison (= one where prisoners are not restricted as much as usual )

He was transferred to an open prison.

an open secret (= something that a lot of people know, but do not talk about because it is supposed to be a secret )

It was an open secret that he was having an affair.

an open verdict British English (= stating that the facts about someone’s death are not known )

The inquest jury recorded an open verdict because of conflicting evidence.

an open wound (= one where the skin has not yet healed )

Sports players should not continue to play with open wounds.

an opening bid (= the first bid )

The opening bid was only $10.

an opening/closing ceremony (= at the beginning or end of a special event )

I stayed for the closing ceremony.

an open/standing invitation (= an invitation to do something at any time you like )

Phillip kindly gave me an open invitation to stay at his villa in Tuscany.

an option is open/available to sb (= a particular choice is available to someone )

Giving a prison sentence is only one of the options open to the judge.

be open to criticism (= be willing or able to accept it )

Management have decided this and I don't think they're open to criticism.

be open to negotiation (= be willing to discuss something )

The president signalled that he is open to negotiations on the budget.

be open to negotiation (= be able to be discussed )

The price is usually open to negotiation.

be open to question (= not be certain or definitely true )

Whether he will survive politically is open to question.

be open to scrutiny

Government actions should be more open to public scrutiny.

be open to suggestions (= be willing to listen to suggestions )

We don’t have a firm plan yet, so we’re open to suggestions.

blow (sth) open/shut

A sudden draught blew the door shut .

bottle opener

can opener

click open/shut (= open with a short hard sound )

I heard the gate at the front of the house click open.

cut sth open

Cut open the avocado and remove the stone.

enter into/open negotiations (= start negotiations )

They have entered into negotiations to acquire another company.

fired the opening salvo

Congressman Saunders fired the opening salvo during a heated debate on capital punishment.

flipped...open

She flipped the lid of the box open and looked inside.

flowers open

As the weather gets warmer, the flowers open.

forced...open

She tried to keep the door shut but the man forced it open .

have sth open/closed/on etc

I had my eyes half-closed.

Janice likes to have the window open.

She had her back to the door.

having an open house

We’re having an open house Sunday, noon to 5 pm.

jerked open

She jerked open the car door and got out.

keep your eyes open (= prevent them from closing )

I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.

keep/leave your options open (= to not limit what you can choose to do later )

Studying a broad range of subjects helps to keep your options open.

kept open house

He kept open house for a wide range of artists and writers.

laid...open to charges of

Not to have taken action would have laid the department open to charges of negligence.

leave sth open/empty/untidy etc

I wish you’d stop leaving the door open.

leave the gate open

Someone left the gate open, and the dog got out.

lie empty/open/hidden etc

The book lay open on the table.

move/empty/open your bowels (= get rid of solid waste from your body )

officially opened

The new church was officially opened on July 5th.

on the open market (= for anyone to buy )

Handguns are freely available on the open market .

open a bank account

I’d like to open a bank account .

open a drawer

Jonathan opened the drawer and took out a fork.

open a factory

The company has just opened a new factory in Swindon.

open a file

Click on the icon to open the file.

open a gate

He heard Jack open the gate.

open a letter

Bill opened the letter and read it.

open a meeting (= begin it )

There was disagreement about opening the meeting with a prayer.

open a window

I opened the window and breathed in the fresh air.

open access TV

open admiration (= that you do not try to hide )

Her father looked at her in open admiration.

open an envelope

I opened the envelope, pulled out the document and read it.

open bar

open communication (= involving everyone in a group )

The system is aimed at creating trust and open communication.

open competition (= a situation that offers anyone a chance to be successful )

We welcome open competition in the software market.

open country (= away from towns, and with few buildings, walls, trees etc )

We left the city and headed towards the open country in the north.

open countryside (= with few buildings, walls, trees etc )

The farmhouse has views over open countryside.

open curiosity (= that you do not try to hide )

The children were staring at her with open curiosity.

open day

open ground

The landscape is a mixture of open ground and woodland.

open house

Parents are invited to attend the open house next Thursday.

open land (= land on which there are no buildings )

In the middle of the city are several hundred acres of open land.

open letter

open market

The painting would fetch millions of dollars if it was sold on the open market .

open marriage

open mike

open moorland

large areas of open moorland

open primary

open prison

open rebellion (= rebellion that is clear and not hidden )

Algiers was in open rebellion.

open revolt (= not hidden or secret )

She faced open revolt from her Cabinet colleagues.

open sandwich

open season

the open season for deer

open sesame

A university degree isn’t always an open sesame to a good job.

open source

open source software such as Linux

open system

open the border (= start allowing people to cross )

After fifty years the border was finally opened.

open to abuse (= able to be used wrongly )

A self-monitoring tax system is clearly open to abuse .

open to interpretation (= able to be understood or explained in different ways )

What exactly the author meant by that statement is open to interpretation .

open up a possibility (= make a new opportunity available )

His recent performance opens up the possibility for him to compete in the Olympic Games.

open up new vistas

Exchange programs open up new vistas for students.

open verdict

The jury returned an open verdict .

open vowel

open your eyes

I slowly opened my eyes.

open your mail

She opened her mail as she ate her breakfast.

open

A breeze from the open window lifted her hair.

open...branch

They’re planning to open a branch in St. Louis next year.

open...can of worms

I just don’t know what to do – every solution I can think of would just open up a whole new can of worms .

open/close a bag

The customs officer opened my bag.

open/close/shut the door

I opened the door and Dad was standing there.

Can you close the door as you go out?

open/draw (back)/pull back the curtains (= open them )

Would you mind opening the curtains?

opened...a crack

She opened the door a crack and peeped into the room.

opening gambit (= the thing you say first )

These questions are often an opening gambit for a negotiation.

opening hours

opening night

opening time

We arrived at the pub just before opening time.

opening up

the opening up of opportunities for women

open/outright hostility (= hostility that is clearly shown )

They eyed each other with open hostility.

open/pull down/draw the blinds

open/shut/close your mouth

He opened his mouth wide so the doctor could examine his throat.

open/spread (sth) wide

Spiro spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.

Leonora’s eyes opened wide in horror.

The windows had been opened wide and she could feel a slight breeze.

open/undisguised contempt (= that you do not try to hide )

Her expression was one of open contempt.

open/unwrap a present

Can we open our presents now?

popped open

The lid popped open and juice spilled all over the floor.

prop...open

Can we prop the window open with something?

provide/present/open up an opportunity

The course also provides an opportunity to study Japanese.

pull open/pull out a drawer (= open it )

He pulled open drawers until he found the papers.

pull sth open/shut

She pulled open the door and hurried inside.

push sth open/shut

I slowly pushed the door open.

recorded an open verdict

He said there was some doubt over the way Grant had died, and recorded an open verdict .

returned an open verdict

The jury returned an open verdict .

ripped...open

Impatiently, Sue ripped the letter open .

sb’s eyes open

Suddenly his eyes opened.

sb’s mouth falls/drops open (= in surprise )

‘Me?’ she said, her mouth dropping open.

seal a joint/crack/opening/gap

A quick way to seal awkward gaps is to use a foam filler.

slid open

He slid open the door of the glass cabinet.

slit open an envelope (= open it by cutting it )

I quickly slit open the envelope.

slit open

Guy slit open the envelope.

snap (sth) open/shut

She snapped her briefcase shut.

sold on the open market

The painting would fetch millions of dollars if it was sold on the open market .

split open

One of the boxes had split open .

split...head open

The force of the blow nearly split his head open .

spread/open its wings

The dragon spread its wings and gave an experimental flap.

spring open/shut

The gate sprang shut behind them.

stood open

The kitchen door stood open so she went in.

swing open/shut

The heavy door swung shut.

tear sth open

She tore open the envelope.

tear/rip open an envelope (= open it quickly and roughly )

My fingers trembled as I tore open the envelope.

the heavens opened (= it started to rain heavily )

Just then, the heavens opened .

the introductory/opening chapter (= the first chapter )

There’s a short introductory chapter giving an outline of the subject matter.

the open plain(s)

On the open plains of east Africa are zebras, antelopes, and gazelles.

the open road (= without much traffic or anything to stop you getting somewhere )

This car is at its best on the open road.

the open sea (= the part of the sea that is far away from land )

Rescuers are trying to drive the stranded whales back out into the open sea.

the open sky (= a large area of sky )

They lay on the ground under the open sky.

threw open

She drew the curtains and threw open the windows.

tin opener

unanswered/open (= not dealt with )

At this point a key question remains unanswered.

welcomed...with open arms (= in a very friendly way )

His family welcomed me with open arms .

welcome...with open arms

We would welcome any advice or suggestions with open arms .

with your mouth open

He chews with his mouth open.

yawned open

The pit yawned open in front of them.

zip sth shut/open

Olsen zipped the bag shut.

He zipped open the case unfastened it .

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADVERB

more

Nominating procedures were now more open and participatory than they had ever been before.

Air circulates more readily through a more open tree.

The economy is now both more open and more competitive.

There was no more open country now; we camped always on dark, ploughed fields.

Nevertheless, in many schools enhanced staffing stirred up traditional structures and assumptions to produce a more open and reflective professional climate.

When we read or listen with this attitude, we are more open to what some one else has to say.

They should have played a more open game and allowed us to see Bangor scoring lots of goals.

Bring more groups from the United States, they say, so we can have more open communication.

still

It is, for canal enthusiasts, a fascinatingly varied and interesting route, all of it still open .

In addition, the selection of these 10 battles, clearly subjective, is still open to question.

Lily's door was still open .

The case is still open , and Tampa police have no leads.

The shops and cafés were still open .

The shops were still open: the butcher, the greengrocer, the fishing-tackle shop.

He would have to wait until Monday to find out if the offer was still open .

At the same time wind scooped all his maps out of the cockpit, which was still open .

wide

These are still very early days and the options are wide open .

By building a computerized society, the United States has left itself wide open to electronic attack.

It leaves them wide open for dismissal by anybody with a basic knowledge of debating tactics.

As I drew level with the two vehicles I saw that Carla's front door was wide open .

She leaves her door wide open to the dark.

He left the field wide open for whatever the other players in this charming charade might suggest.

Being summer, the window is wide open .

The door to Suzy's bedroom was wide open and her partly clothed body was spreadeagled on the bed.

■ NOUN

air

The world, her world, no longer accommodated pleasure parties in the open air .

Outside, in the open air , it was glorious.

There are at present opportunities to undertake agricultural and horticultural work in the open air at 23 young offender institutions.

They passed through another set of doors and out into the open air .

The verdant setting of these open air concerts was ideal.

She eased it free, allowing it to stand proudly erect in the open air .

I held the bars until the nausea left me, pouring out through the restraining iron and into the open air .

After the singing of another hymn the congregation adjourned to the open air for the unveiling of the Memorial stones.

country

And now they had left the city behind and were heading out into the open country .

He navigates the chaos to head into open country .

The Park is a large area of open country with rocky outcrops, ancient buildings and a small river.

There was no more open country now; we camped always on dark, ploughed fields.

In open country , trees becomes sites for breeding colonies which may also facilitate synchronization of breeding.

Well, maybe only once in a while in open country .

I was badly hurt, but I escaped and ran into the open country .

To fly over open country , to fly just for the sake of flying, is to know freedom.

countryside

They crossed Dalmeny bridge and were in open countryside when the attackers struck.

However, we were told an application for a house in the open countryside in Montgomeryshire had just been called in.

It opens on to open countryside and is easy to get to.

Not all barns are in open countryside .

Much of the open countryside is subject to special control.

Head through here and out again into open countryside .

They cleared the thick, wooded hills of Oxford and went down into the open countryside .

court

This is the day the case is called in open court .

Of the prospective jurors questioned, only six were dismissed in open court .

It's a question that lawyers representing the two Hitachi employees wanted to pursue in open court .

He also has sealed transcripts of the entire jury selection process, even the sessions held in open court .

The hearing was in chambers and judgment was delivered in open court .

He was interviewed by Judge Patrick King in his chambers, but did not testify in open court .

The summons was heard in chambers but judgment was given in open court at the request of the parties.

I am giving this judgment in open court at the request of all parties.

day

They ran their own open day for local businesses, which was a great success.

The station will be opened in June and there will also be a series of open days .

Open doors: Teesside's new £20m law courts complex is having an official open day on June 27.

Opening success: More than 1000 people visited Middlesbrough botanic centre's open day .

It is holding open days in its Stanley, Middlesbrough and Washington stores, supposedly in support of the Rokermen.

Admission to the clinic open day is free - all welcome.

The Wirral Heart Support Centre has an open day tomorrow.

door

Ruth knocked on the now open door and then stepped into the suite.

One eye on the open door , Bernstein decided to shoot for the moon.

The only open door led to a broom cupboard.

We were taken into a long room and ordered to undress while the guards watched through the open door .

He was passing the open door , caught the odour of cigarette smoke.

He sees the present as the open door to an efficacious future.

A chill wind came through the open doors to the balcony.

Richard was waiting on the steps of our converted house, a dim shape by the open door .

field

Outside was very pleasant with views over open fields and a local park.

They all crossed the road and hurried down an open field , and then he jumped another fence.

At the end of the kitchen garden, by the stile to the open fields , he had looked back.

The Aug. 24-Sept. 3 trek covers Cape Province wineries, private gardens, open fields and a flower show.

A hedgerow in open fields was no place to remain all day.

The open fields were covered with wounded and stragglers, going to the rear.

Here the open fields survived until 1872.

The wrecked Wellington bomber still smouldered in the open field .

fire

There are two comfortable lounges with open fires , one with a large collection of books for guests to read.

Clothes are hung from nails, and cooking is done over an open fire .

The cosy bar has an open fire .

Purists believe that roasting means exposing food to the direct heat of a hot, open fire .

Any kind of open fire needs a considerable volume of fuel to keep it alight.

Always put out an open fire before going to bed.

Put guards on all open fires .

Do not try to draw up an open fire with a sheet of newspaper.

government

Was not the citizens charter supposed to be all about open Government ?

Paradoxically, these secret arrangements created what was probably the most open government in history.

Additionally, bargaining is a closed, private activity which sits uneasily astride the current emphasis on open government and public participation.

Still, Watler and other Texas open government advocates are generally upbeat.

Those who have read it must agree that it is an exercise in open government .

The Government say that they believe in open government.

Freedom of information legislation and open government will improve competition and encourage informed debate.

A fuller acceptance of the concept of open government would stimulate discussion of public policy inside and outside Parliament.

ground

Some were hanging on the brambles and a few flat, wet clots were lying well out in open ground beyond the clump.

Now, out into the open ground they burst....

She took several deep breaths, then broke cover and sprinted in a zigzag weave across the open ground .

As he passed to the open ground on my left, I joined him.

This prevents any escape across the open ground and many of the rabbits will become entangled in the net.

There, I found open ground without trees.

The skeletal trees that grew close to the chapel rattled their branches in the wind, which whipped across the open ground .

house

People begin to arrive uninvited, so that Howard and Felicity find themselves keeping more or less open house .

Philips Plaza ring in the consumerist season with a holiday open house .

It's open house at the Maxwells'.

Free open house runs from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. at most Northwest stations.

When it became open house , more people were touched and inspired.

Easy enough to keep open house when some one else pays, isn't it?

Additionally, an open house for those interested in participating in the training class is planned for sometime in late spring.

invitation

I extend to the hon. Gentleman an open invitation to join me on any subsequent occasion.

The wizards designing Macintosh considered it an open invitation to childlike play, and judged that ability among its chief attributes.

The latter is not an open invitation to intervention or a threat to sovereignty.

Is there an open invitation to abuse even in some of the innocent parts?

In my opinion, a skip should be regarded as an open invitation to selective plundering.

The Carter team feared that the remark and the attitude it conveyed would be an open invitation to execute Kim.

An open invitation was also agreed for any District Council representative to join meetings.

It would also have been an open invitation to civic disturbance.

letter

The Gooner also carries an articulate open letter to David Dein, Arsenal's cultured vice-chairman.

The arrests came soon after they had sent an open letter to Sassou Nguesso calling for multiparty democracy.

There they were, open letters , two bundles, neat as folded handkerchiefs.

market

Yet open markets still command intense loyalty.

In addition, the resulting change in reserves can be predicted precisely and open market operations are readily reversible.

The money supply can be reduced directly by using open market operations.

Economic development in open market economies has always been punctuated by crises.

The Bank could, and did, make Bank Rate effective by open market operations.

Where properties are untenanted, Retirement Assured has valued them at open market value with vacant possession.

Britain became probably the most open market in the world.

mind

Until the Profitboss makes a decision, he keeps an open mind as to what that decision might be.

And later she was going to try to get herself to that meeting with an open mind .

Before he resolves a problem, he keeps an open mind on how that problem might be resolved.

I think you should keep an open mind and enjoy being with people.

Still, it was as well to keep an open mind .

We must keep an open mind about the possible presence of ores.

Police say they're keeping an open mind .

Greater is the irony that twenty years earlier the open mind for this view was well established in economic circles.

mouth

She had not killed him, she was leading him away from the open mouth of the cave and towards the distant city.

He turned the open mouth of the urn toward the light and peered in.

Fire came from its open mouth .

She began to thrust at him with her body; their mingled breaths merged, their open mouths met, tongues touching.

Sylvia watched, mesmerised, as Estelle peed over the man's face and into his open mouth .

Lightly falling raindrops splashed into her open mouth and eyes, skittering across her taut, shiny face.

question

Whether this is a failure in the interpretation of the evaluation of Wilkins' ideas is an open question .

Where and what kinds they will be is an open question that is, at best, an educated guess.

Working with a partner, A asks B open questions , which B tries to answer as briefly as possible.

How well this works in reducing absence is an open question .

Whether California will continue to lead science is an open question .

Whether his claim was genuine or not is an open question .

But whether these effects translate into clearer thought, better writing, or more creativity is an open question .

road

On the open road , it's no use pretending that the Bentley handles with the agility of a Porsche.

We ate in the fields or on the open road .

If your equipment has to go outside on open roads or gravelled surfaces, remember castors are not always suitable.

The current barrier was installed in 1972, after residents submitted a petition saying the open road caused traffic hazards.

Do you relish the prospect of the open road ?

Daniel Boone heard it: the siren song of the open road , beckoning him to pack up and go.

Racing on open roads was subsequently banned and the great Paris races came to an end.

sea

Ideally on the open sea you should carry a flare pack.

Stultz relinquished the controls to Gordon, and Slim headed northeast across the open sea .

A thirty-pound tuna swam past, heading for the open sea .

Rescuers have tried unsuccessfully to drive them out into the open sea using a line of boats with their engines running.

The other side faced the open sea .

Lake Saimaa is a fresh water lake and has flatter water and lighter, more fluky winds than on the open sea .

But the call of the open sea is irresistible.

sky

The photographer's glance alights on small details of foliage or suddenly sweeps upwards to the open sky .

But Janir seemed content, even fascinated, to be under the open sky .

Now Jaq understood the function of that helmet he had seen the Governor wearing out at the spaceport under the open sky .

Now I can see rooftops outside the windows as well as open sky .

He has been a staunch advocate of the open skies policy which has helped to open up regional aviation.

Place high up against open sky and moving clouds and it is something else again.

For above him was an open sky .

space

Its use will be confined to that of a village public open space , with parking of vehicles absolutely prohibited.

It reached the ledge, and rested for a moment on the narrow open space .

He presented the open space of Warley Woods to the city of Birmingham.

They were certainly the first means of crossing wide open spaces that are still vast and untamed, even today.

And dragonfly flight corridors have been created by providing open space on the sides of burns.

The surrounding open space will be as intriguing as the new lake.

Berlin has a surprising amount of open space including the beautiful Grunewald Forest.

The Apache used to call this the land of open spaces , little water, and many deer.

system

By comparison, social class, the system of stratification in capitalist industrial society, provides an example of an open system.

The chameleon on the mirror is a completely open system .

Before the rise of open systems there were five factors which precluded migration to Unix, he argues.

Unicenter is an open systems equivalent to its current mainframe software for data centre management.

Tumin suggests, however, that even relatively open systems of stratification erect barriers to the motivation and recruitment of talent.

Integrated-systems digital-networks, open systems interconnections and 1992 are popular subjects of conversation at the moment.

Unix, House believes, will dominate the open systems market for the next five years.

window

In the summer, open windows and in the winter, turn on the heating so it is warm and welcoming.

It grunted, turned and hurtled through the living room, out an open window and into the night.

Some one reached through an open window and stabbed Bastidas in the back.

She spun around on the porch and glared back at the open window .

Claire sits in the open window of John's kitchen, a cup of jasmine tea warming her hands.

Topside, the snow softened the air and a cold wind spits flakes through an open window on the bridge.

Drifting out of an open window , riding over a choppy bassline, comes the distinctive voice of Omar.

A branch came through the open window and caught me on the side of the head.

wound

The caterers, Mr and Mrs Sharpstone, were the sort of people you could lay on an open wound .

Mr Barraza wrapped the towel around my shoulders, like a medic covering an open wound .

A man playing cards had an open wound in his forehead, blood dripping on to the crib board.

Healthy people can contract necrotizing fasciitis, but people with chronic illnesses or open wounds are more susceptible.

Open years are proving to be open wounds for Lloyd's.

I grew as red in the face as an open wound .

In one case a woman waited three quarters of an hour with her child screaming with an open wound .

It was a city of open wounds , of explosive politics and feelings.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

be an open invitation for/to sb

Leaving the car unlocked is just an open invitation to thieves.

The Carter team feared that the remark and the attitude it conveyed would be an open invitation to execute Kim.

be open to debate

As a practical matter, the wisdom of tax-cutting is open to debate .

In Alcove 1, everything was open to debate .

It is open to debate whether the office should be performed by a police officer or by a prosecutorial figure.

Jospin's conclusions may be open to debate , but the way he has formulated them is laudable.

The actual number of words that are necessary is open to debate .

This concept is open to debate , in that at least some Ediacaran fossils can be compared with known metazoans.

Whether a further wave of takeovers in the brewing industry would benefit consumers is open to debate .

Whether civil liberties or freedom of expression really languished in this period is open to debate .

be open to dispute

How far Blake and Mouton were pioneers in this field is open to dispute .

Whether this revolution has improved medical care or worsened it is open to dispute .

burst open

The door burst open and the kids piled into the house.

But then the door bursts open and yet more soldiers push into the room.

Douglas burst open the door into the first, where somebody had lit a lamp.

She says the door bursts open just when they reach the cages and the monster comes through.

The bedroom door had burst open and Peter was striding into the room.

The door of the shuddering carriage burst open, and Fedorov tumbled out, struggling with the woman.

Then the door'd burst open and Albert Swift and his gang had walked in.

Two bags of paper money hurtled on to the road and burst open.

clear/pave/open/prepare etc the way (for sth)

Earlier legislation paved the way by limiting the use of custody as a penalty for offenders under the age of twenty-one.

He believes the Government has missed the opportunity to pave the way for badly needed investment.

He gave as an example some of the early work in genetics which has paved the way for biotechnological developments.

She would pave the way for a much more slender ideal: the flapper.

Such developments are paving the way to rapprochement between conventional and complementary medicine.

Was he paving the way for another referendum?

When Ken wants to give his girlfriend a kiss he first calls in a construction team to clear the way .

come open/undone/loose etc

As she reached the doors they came open, the button pressed by two people outside.

His heart felt it would come loose in his body, so wildly was it beating.

Some ropes had come loose and were swinging wildly in the wind.

Then she felt something on her arm and discovered her scarf had come undone.

Then sprinkle on water and re-trowel in come loose-use an emulsion paint brush.

Think of all the things that come loose around the house.

When the Thayer principalship came open in the summer of 1981, Littky applied and reentered the educational world.

crack open a bottle

first night/opening night

fling sth open

hang open

There were cupboards hanging open, mattresses overturned and a bottle of sour milk stood in the sink.

high-collared/open-collared/fur-collared etc

keep an eye open/out (for sb/sth)

Always keeping an eye out in case of thieves.

And we had to keep an eye open for police patrols.

For months, he kept an eye out.

He will keep an eye out, but he can not promise anything.

Male speaker All you got to do is keep an eye open and watch the break lights.

Though he works hard with all the kids, he keeps an eye out for the special ones.

Valueoriented consumers should keep an eye out for the name FabreMontmayou.

keep your ears open

All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open.

They had a kid copper keeping his ears open.

keep/leave your options open

At the end of the season, I will keep my options open.

Either way, you can keep your options open.

Flexibility is key, keeping your options open.

Many young people want to keep their options open.

Some companies are keeping their options open on retaining or dumping anachronistic names.

We must expect to be surprised in the future, and we must keep our options open.

You need to keep your options open in order to change courses at a moment's notice.

lay sb/sth open to sth

And he has laid himself wide open to the kind of criticism that will cloak him in a dark shroud of misery.

If he had said he was acting under his own authority, he would have laid himself open to ridicule.

Is it something you should do, or do you lay yourself open to terrible legal proceedings?

It is not difficult to see how this approach lays itself open to abuse and drastic criticism.

It is not only those who dismiss the arts as self-indulgent who lay themselves open to such a charge.

Not to have taken action, she said, would have laid her department open to a charge of negligence.

The Evangelicals have become a powerful influence in the land and this lays them open to the wooing of politicians.

This would amount to a breach of their contract of employment and lay them open to disciplinary proceedings.

lay sth bare/open

Krushchev laid bare Stalin's crimes.

New bricks were removed, laying bare the old foundations.

on the open market

Berryhill is back on the open market.

HaL is unlikely to sell its chips on the open market.

I hadn't been on the open market for so long.

If the Bank wishes to reduce the money supply it will sell securities through its broker on the open market.

It is likely to be some years before such a product is on the open market.

It will sell the rest on the open market.

Priced on the open market, they would sell for tens and tens of billions of dollars.

They sell bonds on the open market.

open a Pandora's box

I've opened Pandora's box.

The internet has opened a Pandora's box of threats: its demons have been loosed on us all.

open old wounds

Seeing my ex-boyfriend opened some old wounds .

In her innocent curiosity, Cissie had opened old wounds .

Whatever the outcome, Marcos's death has opened old wounds .

open season (on sb)

In the press, it seems to be open season on overpaid executives.

It is open season for criticising UDCs for lack of planning, lack of strategic thinking and short termism.

Payroll allocations can be changed only during an open season.

That's the West Coast Trail, limited to 8,000 hikers during its open season from mid-April to the end of September.

The grin meant it was open season.

There would be an open season on scattered singletons.

open the floodgates

Any change in the law could open the floodgates to increased immigration.

A move like this will open the floodgates .

California's first execution may open the floodgates .

Its authors say the motorway has opened the floodgates for development on a scale planners hadn't envisaged.

So he opened the floodgates of the South Platte River and unleashed 96 million gallons of rushing water.

The case could open the floodgates for thousands of similar claims worldwide.

The score that opened the floodgates came out of nothing after 62 minutes.

This easing of restrictions opened the floodgates for commercial Internet access.

open to doubt

But the political and military efficacy of the pacts was always open to doubt .

But whether that amounts to a positive incentive for companies to boost production and revive investment plans is open to doubt .

Faith is something which is merely believed, so it must always expect to be open to doubt .

Further, and more important, it was open to doubt whether the nobility was properly trained for war.

Of course, even if accurately transmitted the reliability of this poetry is still open to doubt .

Whether it will ever be finished is now open to doubt .

Whether it will help in breaking two-party politics is open to doubt .

Whether this kind of Labour Party is capable of winning a general election is open to doubt .

open your mouth

If you can get people to relax, they're more likely to open their mouths and talk.

Angrily she opened her mouth to protest but at that moment the door opened and David appeared.

Even I wouldn't realise until they opened their mouths - which was only to sing the malai national anthem.

He stared, he threw back his head in glad greeting and opened his mouth .

He would croak if he opened his mouth , so he kept it shut.

I opened my mouth to shout for help, but nothing came out.

If you have to be sure before you dare open your mouth , most people are going to stay quiet.

She stumbled to her feet, clutching the eiderdown around her, and opened her mouth to call to them.

The baby robins, scrub jays, finches, sparrows and starlings opened their mouths wide in anticipation.

opening salvo

This could be the opening salvo of a campaign to get the arena built elsewhere.

Clinton fired the opening salvo last month when he included tax cuts in his proposed 1997 budget.

Desktop publishing was only the opening salvo of a fusillade of developments that would change the way people worked.

the opening up of sth

Again the opening up of public procurement procedures should result in a significant increase in intra-EC trade and industry re-structuring.

By 1895 she had attained the opening up of Lincoln's Inn Fields to the poor.

Over the next generation the first phase of the opening up of inland industrial Britain proceeded.

Searching out high-quality old timber is a big factor in the opening up of pristine forests.

Taylor said the opening up of opportunities for minorities in television would lead to more opportunities in films.

The combination of these influences has encouraged the opening up of the airwaves to competition.

throw sth open

wedge sth open/shut

wide open

After the stale fug in the tiny cabin, she gulped down the clean sea air, the car window wide open.

His eyes seemed darker blue and more wide open than usual.

Leave the window wide open in winter; turn off the airconditioning in summer.

Some of the villa front doors were wide open to him.

The snap showed Jennifer with eyes closed and mouth wide open.

Their eyes are wide open as they pass the object round.

When I came into the hall, his eyes were wide open, staring straight at me.

wide open/awake/apart

He sat with his legs wide apart.

It was 3 a.m., but I was wide awake.

The door was wide open when we got here.

After an hour, though still wide awake, I crimped the page and turned off the light.

But from what I gathered at the arts fair, the field is pretty wide open.

My big worry is that the Monster will come wide awake and ruin things with its gross demands.

The doors of the Conch cafe were wide open with no sign of Huong or Anna; they had probably evacuated.

The main door stood wide open making a through draught.

These are still very early days and the options are wide open.

They were certainly the first means of crossing wide open spaces that are still vast and untamed, even today.

Turning the corner into Polly's road, Jack noticed suddenly that the door to her house was wide open.

with open arms

My new in-laws accepted me with open arms .

We welcomed Henry's offer with open arms .

And if the turnout was any indication, the parish was welcoming them with open arms .

He greeted Riley with open arms .

Newspapers welcome with open arms a regular, efficient news service on which they can rely.

Not that the profession was necessarily going to welcome me into the fold with open arms .

Now we welcome death with open arms , especially when we are old.

The Greenpeace support was welcomed with open arms .

When Cara got out of the car Mrs Hendry stepped forward with open arms and embraced her new daughter-in-law.

You walk in here and you expect to be welcomed with open arms .

with your eyes open

They went into the deal with their eyes open.

And we lie there, with our eyes open, waiting for the sun.

He was just lying there looking at her as if he was dreaming with his eyes open.

She lies there in the dark, with her eyes open, keeping watch.

She lies with her eyes open, listening to his noisy jerking-off and then his snores.

The young man was gazing straight ahead, as if asleep with his eyes open.

There are some people who get bored who can just fall asleep, standing up with their eyes open.

They will be tough with you, so that you go into self-employment with your eyes open.

Three days after that, I learned that I could begin the ascent with my eyes open.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

A book lay open on the table.

an open carriage

an open sewer

an open staircase

Ben was staring at her with his mouth wide open .

Bill's white shirt was open at the collar.

Carrie stood in front of the open window.

Diana's very easy to talk to because she's so open .

Do you know you left the window wide open all night?

Emily realised that her handbag was open and her money gone.

frank and open discussions

Greg has always been very open about his sexuality.

He's a nice looking young man with a open , honest smile.

He had a very open nature.

Her blouse came open in front of a nationwide TV audience!

Highway 5 is blocked by snow, but Route 35 remains open .

I'm sorry, but the doctor doesn't have anything open for this afternoon.

I am bothered by your open admiration of these criminals.

I try to be open and honest with my employees and let them know exactly what's going on.

I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open .

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

As her mouth fell innocently open and her body relaxed, Ludovico Castelfranco examined her closely.

He would lie there quietly, eyes wide open , taking from her skin what he needed.

Like a foot in the door, they can leave a channel stuck open .

Only then, in the shock of the open air at last, did we break ranks and go our separate ways.

Outside, in the open air, it was glorious.

She lay on her stomach, tangled in sheets, eyes closed and mouth open .

The inquest jury returned an open verdict because of conflicting evidence.

The result is a more free-flowing, open sound.

II. verb

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADVERB

officially

The revamped centre was officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh on June 26.

The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path was opened officially in May, 1970, after many years of tricky negotiations.

The most advanced bomb disposal centre in the world has been officially opened by the Duke of Kent.

The gallery was officially opened by arts minister Timothy Renton.

up

The need for analogue computers will grow with the realization that whole new fields will be opened up by evolutionary computing.

It opens up with the sound of a mosquito and gets louder and louder.

She was friendly and easy to talk to and, after a while, I opened up my heart.

If a new market opened up , new jobs could be created to serve it.

And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates.

At that point, small arms and automatic weapons opened up .

The thugs pounced as Tony McLoughlin prepared to open up the school shortly after 7am.

Schoolteacher made one open up my back, and when it closed it made a tree.

■ NOUN

account

Only those people who live near by are allowed to open accounts .

Everyone who could simply had to open a checking account and a savings account.

Formal Invitation should open his account in the Corvedale Novices' Hurdle.

The band will need to open a bank account , if they haven't done so already.

All you need to open the account is £1 and every six months interest is added to your account.

Newcomers needed help navigating the unknown world of capitalism, from opening a checking account to writing a resume.

book

Joan and her sister Ruth appeared early in the saga, and young Paul opened the very first book of the series.

Slowly she would open the book and begin the story.

He opened a book with his thumbnail, as if afraid of dirtying his fingers.

She opens a book , hands it to me, points to a passage.

She opened her cookery book , and after a while she boiled a chicken, and she sang.

I looked over and saw that Gordon had opened a book .

Is there any point in opening a book on who our Howard will drop to make way for rodders.

He turned the chair around, positioning himself with his back to the window, and opened the book .

bottle

The atmosphere when they opened the bottle seemed to Albert to improve no end.

To regain her composure, she opened the wine bottle in the kitchen and took a sip.

Then open a chilled bottle of Guinness Original and pour it slowly into a glass.

He opened a tiny bottle and offered me a hit of poppers.

I opened two bottles that I retrieved from the sticky mess on the cabin floor.

Ordinarily, I would have opened another bottle .

She was still very active and made me feel so welcome, especially when she opened the sherry bottle .

She opened a bottle of wine.

box

After building your own machine you certainly will not be worried about opening the box !

Then you open the box and see.

Now he opened his box and took out the sun's ray.

New investigative techniques have opened up the black box of the brain and have begun to shed light on its inner workings.

She opened a wicker sewing box , looked inside, shook her head and closed the box again.

He opened the cardboard box and took out each item, greeting each like an old friend.

Peter didn't open the box containing the Archives of Emor.

Fakhru pulled out his own key and pretended to be opening the box just above that of the bank.

branch

Until 1994, the federal McFadden Act of 1927 prevented banks from crossing state lines to open up new branches .

A firm looking to expand will not simply contemplate recruiting new partners or opening up new branch offices.

Peabody became the owner of Lumber Mart in 1982, opening a branch in Grand Forks in 1993.

Meanwhile, last September they opened a branch of their New York gallery in Berlin.

The company plans to open seven branches over the coming months.

Branching out: A northern store chain is helping to open branches of a different kind.

can

Asked again to pay for it, he opened the can and started to drink the lager.

Helen opened every can in the cupboard.

I opened another can and wondered what to do next.

Still, it requires a lot more work than opening a couple of cans .

Before that, though, I opened a can of whole chicken and ripped off a leg dribbling with jelly.

In early December, Aesop cut his finger opening a can of cling peaches.

Our naive arrangements, it seemed, had opened a social can of worms.

But when he got home and opened the can , it held gritty mashed potatoes.

door

He pulled the door open slowly.

You have to tug a little to break the seal, and then the door opens .

He went into one of the empty bedrooms and left the door open .

About 6: 20 p. m., the door opened and the witnesses took their positions.

Frankie stared through the banisters, willing the kitchen door to open .

One of the doors opened on to a new life for Alvin.

file

They ask callers detailed questions about their problems and open up an electronic file .

Stok opened the file and signed the corners of eight sheets of paper.

They just open their mail and click on the icon to open the file .

On occasion you may begin to open a file and find that you would prefer to rename the file or delete it.

For example, so-called spring-loaded folders open up to receive files as the user drags an item over them.

The following example opens a file and prints to it via the Printer Filter.

He opened the file out and spread the papers across his lap.

gate

George climbed over the gate while Willie opened and shut it neatly behind him.

It also works to create a disposition of self-confidence and thus to keep gates open to new possibilities.

The gate swings open behind me.

So, programmers kept the electronic gates to mail servers open and letters came from anywhere, were processed and sent on.

He passed through the archway in the garden wall of Sea House, opening the white iron gate and leaving it open.

Iron gates open to a courtyard filled with pots of geraniums and ivy tucked next to rusted bistro tables and chairs.

At the touch of a button a huge gate opens and I am confined in a small area between fences.

The gate opened and dressed-up children spilled into the street, bright beads from a broken string.

heart

After the war, black GIs came home with opened eyes and hearts full of pride.

She was friendly and easy to talk to and, after a while, I opened up my heart .

She felt guilty, always guilty, thinking how she should be opening her whole heart to him.

But incredulity it was that popped my eyes open and stopped my heart , swept away my slightest consciousness of pain.

He was close to tears when he started to read a statement in which he opened his heart as never before.

We opened our hearts and wept.

letter

Why had she ever opened that letter ?

So, programmers kept the electronic gates to mail servers open and letters came from anywhere, were processed and sent on.

I opened the letters from Giulia.

A police spokesman said if the man had gone much further in opening the letter , he could have been killed.

When the twig tore the pocket open the letter had dropped out.

That involved bureau agents surreptitiously opening and photographing letters destined for the mission before allowing them to be delivered.

He opened the letter , saw the name at the bottom, and smiled for the first time that day.

I sit at the table tired and discouraged, dutifully opening and closing letters .

market

Skeen said the jets will be used partly to open new markets and to provide better service to current destinations.

It might also include more state help in opening up foreign markets .

Promises to open markets and promises that trade surpluses will shortly disappear have been made too often to be believed.

Despite all this, competition for licenses in newly opened markets is intense.

Each was as anxious as the families and the Managing Director about the opening of their markets .

This is seen as an opportunity for developing software and technological industries and providers through the stimulus of opening up education markets .

mouth

He looked from her to his brother, his mouth open , about to speak.

A furnace got its mouth open somewhere, licks tip somebody.

Soon her mouth would be opened by the lector-priest and her purification ministered by the Sem-priest.

His tongue traveled gently over her lips until gradually her mouth opened slightly, just wide enough for his tongue to enter.

If she pressed very hard then her mouth would not open to scream.

He sat on the crate with his mouth open a little, his tongue protruding slightly.

Sam, silenced, stood with his mouth open .

Her mouth opened wider; and longer and louder words fell out of it.

office

A firm looking to expand will not simply contemplate recruiting new partners or opening up new branch offices .

Two months ago, his company opened a Cambridge office that employs seven workers.

It is opening an office in San Francisco to be run by its founder and president Jacques Quelene.

In Sanchersville, she opened a storefront law office perforating the heart of the ghetto.

Having worked as a freelance for a while, she had recently opened an office in Geneva.

The company recently opened an office in Yardley after Horowitz moved to Richboro three years ago.

An account can be opened at any post office with a minimum of £5.

At first, the business sold just prints and posters to companies opening up new offices .

opportunity

No list can be exhaustive, but it can give you an idea of the range of opportunities open to you.

By seizing an opportunity she opened up a new and totally unexpected position for the future.

A host of new opportunities were opened up, once again revitalising the market.

The hope was sustained by faith that the doors of opportunity would be opened by education.

The most tantalising of opportunities has thus opened up for Mr Takeshita: the chance to be prime minister again.

On all sides, opportunities for growth are opening up for the revolutionary movement.

The following chapters explain in general the opportunities open to you in an average agency.

Foreign nationals, women, and minorities will find greater opportunities open to them than ever before.

option

If you do not know exactly what is going to happen it is well to keep your options open .

Flexibility is key, keeping your options open .

In both of these cases you have kept your centre-line turned to face the opponent and so left your options open .

I want to keep all of my options open .

I thought about the options open to us.

With customary caution, he is keeping his options open while the issue is still in the political incubator.

And there are still just as many options open to them when looking for a loan.

Some companies are keeping their options open on retaining or dumping anachronistic names.

possibility

The Children Act could also open up much wider possibilities , affecting whole groups of travellers.

It also works to create a disposition of self-confidence and thus to keep gates open to new possibilities .

If successful, the technique open up enormous possibilities for controlling viral infections.

The possibility of a new way of looking opens up exciting possibilities for the re-evaluation of many genres of photography.

This opens many possibilities for users.

While not relaxing our critical standards and emphasis on observational success, it could open fresh possibilities .

The Children Act has opened up many possibilities and obligations to make the relationship between travellers and social work services more productive.

public

A forty-minute drive will take you to Haworth Lane, home of the Brontë sisters now open to the public .

Voice over Eleven gardens in North Moreton will open to the public on Saturday.

Tennis and golf are both available, and the Olympic bob-sleigh run is also open to the public .

It will be opened to the public in the next few years, once essential maintenance is completed.

Mill at work: The only working watermill in Cleveland opens to the public tomorrow.

And at long last, the five hundred acres of Woodchester Park are to be opened to the public .

season

We shall be opening the season with the Baron.

The Panthers open next season at Orem.

When I opened my own season in Ulm with Tannhäuser, I had in my head an entirely new sound concept.

Trotter opened his season with interception return for a touchdown in a 41-14 win over Dallas and went from there.

What happened last year was the Broncos opened the season with 12 wins in their first 13 games.

shop

She'd go back home to Oz and open a shop , maybe two.

He opens a surfer shop in Ames, Iowa, right down the street from the tractor repair shop.

He is thinking of opening a small shop .

They moved there the following year and opened a leather shop .

A Newcastle school aims to open a shop to sell pupils' bright ideas.

He had just bought a sewing machine in Warsaw and he intended to open his own shop in their small town.

Cop shop: Police have opened their own cop shop at Darlington police station to sell personal attack alarms and security devices.

The company, which operates 235 stores nationwide, plans to open 80 new shops by 2000.

window

There was a single narrow window opening on a shaded garden and when the door was closed it was difficult to see.

Painting Decorate in the spring and summer so you can work with the windows open .

It was a hot, still night, and I left the windows open .

Traditionally the first window should have been opened this morning.

It had the dusty smell of an apartment whose windows were rarely opened .

Parr kept his window open , and while he waited on the line, let the sounds from outside wash his consciousness.

Even with the car windows left open a crack, the temperature inside can reach 120 degrees in less than 30 minutes.

■ VERB

force

She forced her eyes open , and at once her heart was pounding.

I forced myself to open my fingers, to relax my vigilance, to fall asleep.

So they send one of their servants down to force it open , but he never comes back.

And it does not force school districts to open and close schools, as District 4 does in East Harlem.

More and more shops will be forced to open illegally, to protect their market share.

I forced my eyes open and woke up.

She gulped in a lungful of air and forced her eyelids open .

keep

She says there are logical arguments for keeping Standish open .

Flexibility is key, keeping your options open .

You know how to keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.

The daily firings produced by the withering economy offered loopholes of opportunity for a young man who kept his eyes open .

If you do not know exactly what is going to happen it is well to keep your options open .

Kissinger argued that more good could be obtained by keeping lines open to the Soviets than by closing them.

He told Sir Bryan to get the Chief Constable on the line immediately and to keep it open in the meantime.

With customary caution, he is keeping his options open while the issue is still in the political incubator.

plan

It also plans to open the original shop and a petrol station.

The company is planning to open its first standalone store in London's West End next year.

The city plans a huge grand opening party, including free skating and soccer, food and professional demonstrations.

It plans to open one new store a week and is investing heavily in new technology as competition gets stiffer.

California regulators plan to open the industry to competition in 1998.

Burger King, which did not have a single franchise until last year, plans to open more than 100.

It plans to open just one traditional free-standing branch in 1996&038;.

pull

He pulled the door open slowly.

I pulled up, opened the door for her, made sure she was buckled in.

She reached for the door and started to pull it open , but Nicolo's hand closed around her forearm.

Keeping in mind the penalties for knocking thought up by these sixth graders, I pull open the door and slip inside.

He slammed the milk bottle down on top of the bedside cabinet, pulling the drawer open .

He pulls open the top of his shirt with his finger.

push

Soldiers were pushing it open and Rostov saw that the whole inner yard was a clever device to protect the city.

Then the Jesuit volunteers pushed open the shelter doors and the worshipers followed the cross into a misty rain.

With a familiar feeling of dread, he pushed the door open .

As the piston is pushed the near side opens and the air pressure closes the back flap.

Then he pushed it open and walked into the room.

Half way down the corridor he unlocks a door, pushes it open and turns on the light.

throw

Mrs. Bidwell, meanwhile, had thrown open the lid of the laundry-basket.

Suddenly the tall man threw open the back door and ran down the street.

He could hear her frantic progress up the uncarpeted stairs and along the top corridor until she threw the door open .

Instead, the friendly green thumbs at Tucson Botanical Gardens choose to throw open their gates for free.

She threw the door open , catching it before it could strike the wall.

He marched straight to the front door and threw it open .

I went across and threw it open , exasperated that my holy moment had been so brutally shattered.

Then Eddie stepped to the rear of the cabin and threw open the door.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

be an open invitation for/to sb

Leaving the car unlocked is just an open invitation to thieves.

The Carter team feared that the remark and the attitude it conveyed would be an open invitation to execute Kim.

be open to debate

As a practical matter, the wisdom of tax-cutting is open to debate .

In Alcove 1, everything was open to debate .

It is open to debate whether the office should be performed by a police officer or by a prosecutorial figure.

Jospin's conclusions may be open to debate , but the way he has formulated them is laudable.

The actual number of words that are necessary is open to debate .

This concept is open to debate , in that at least some Ediacaran fossils can be compared with known metazoans.

Whether a further wave of takeovers in the brewing industry would benefit consumers is open to debate .

Whether civil liberties or freedom of expression really languished in this period is open to debate .

be open to dispute

How far Blake and Mouton were pioneers in this field is open to dispute .

Whether this revolution has improved medical care or worsened it is open to dispute .

clear/pave/open/prepare etc the way (for sth)

Earlier legislation paved the way by limiting the use of custody as a penalty for offenders under the age of twenty-one.

He believes the Government has missed the opportunity to pave the way for badly needed investment.

He gave as an example some of the early work in genetics which has paved the way for biotechnological developments.

She would pave the way for a much more slender ideal: the flapper.

Such developments are paving the way to rapprochement between conventional and complementary medicine.

Was he paving the way for another referendum?

When Ken wants to give his girlfriend a kiss he first calls in a construction team to clear the way .

first night/opening night

keep an eye open/out (for sb/sth)

Always keeping an eye out in case of thieves.

And we had to keep an eye open for police patrols.

For months, he kept an eye out.

He will keep an eye out, but he can not promise anything.

Male speaker All you got to do is keep an eye open and watch the break lights.

Though he works hard with all the kids, he keeps an eye out for the special ones.

Valueoriented consumers should keep an eye out for the name FabreMontmayou.

keep your ears open

All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open.

They had a kid copper keeping his ears open.

keep/leave your options open

At the end of the season, I will keep my options open.

Either way, you can keep your options open.

Flexibility is key, keeping your options open.

Many young people want to keep their options open.

Some companies are keeping their options open on retaining or dumping anachronistic names.

We must expect to be surprised in the future, and we must keep our options open.

You need to keep your options open in order to change courses at a moment's notice.

on the open market

Berryhill is back on the open market.

HaL is unlikely to sell its chips on the open market.

I hadn't been on the open market for so long.

If the Bank wishes to reduce the money supply it will sell securities through its broker on the open market.

It is likely to be some years before such a product is on the open market.

It will sell the rest on the open market.

Priced on the open market, they would sell for tens and tens of billions of dollars.

They sell bonds on the open market.

open a Pandora's box

I've opened Pandora's box.

The internet has opened a Pandora's box of threats: its demons have been loosed on us all.

open old wounds

Seeing my ex-boyfriend opened some old wounds .

In her innocent curiosity, Cissie had opened old wounds .

Whatever the outcome, Marcos's death has opened old wounds .

open season (on sb)

In the press, it seems to be open season on overpaid executives.

It is open season for criticising UDCs for lack of planning, lack of strategic thinking and short termism.

Payroll allocations can be changed only during an open season.

That's the West Coast Trail, limited to 8,000 hikers during its open season from mid-April to the end of September.

The grin meant it was open season.

There would be an open season on scattered singletons.

open the floodgates

Any change in the law could open the floodgates to increased immigration.

A move like this will open the floodgates .

California's first execution may open the floodgates .

Its authors say the motorway has opened the floodgates for development on a scale planners hadn't envisaged.

So he opened the floodgates of the South Platte River and unleashed 96 million gallons of rushing water.

The case could open the floodgates for thousands of similar claims worldwide.

The score that opened the floodgates came out of nothing after 62 minutes.

This easing of restrictions opened the floodgates for commercial Internet access.

open to doubt

But the political and military efficacy of the pacts was always open to doubt .

But whether that amounts to a positive incentive for companies to boost production and revive investment plans is open to doubt .

Faith is something which is merely believed, so it must always expect to be open to doubt .

Further, and more important, it was open to doubt whether the nobility was properly trained for war.

Of course, even if accurately transmitted the reliability of this poetry is still open to doubt .

Whether it will ever be finished is now open to doubt .

Whether it will help in breaking two-party politics is open to doubt .

Whether this kind of Labour Party is capable of winning a general election is open to doubt .

open your mouth

If you can get people to relax, they're more likely to open their mouths and talk.

Angrily she opened her mouth to protest but at that moment the door opened and David appeared.

Even I wouldn't realise until they opened their mouths - which was only to sing the malai national anthem.

He stared, he threw back his head in glad greeting and opened his mouth .

He would croak if he opened his mouth , so he kept it shut.

I opened my mouth to shout for help, but nothing came out.

If you have to be sure before you dare open your mouth , most people are going to stay quiet.

She stumbled to her feet, clutching the eiderdown around her, and opened her mouth to call to them.

The baby robins, scrub jays, finches, sparrows and starlings opened their mouths wide in anticipation.

opening salvo

This could be the opening salvo of a campaign to get the arena built elsewhere.

Clinton fired the opening salvo last month when he included tax cuts in his proposed 1997 budget.

Desktop publishing was only the opening salvo of a fusillade of developments that would change the way people worked.

the opening up of sth

Again the opening up of public procurement procedures should result in a significant increase in intra-EC trade and industry re-structuring.

By 1895 she had attained the opening up of Lincoln's Inn Fields to the poor.

Over the next generation the first phase of the opening up of inland industrial Britain proceeded.

Searching out high-quality old timber is a big factor in the opening up of pristine forests.

Taylor said the opening up of opportunities for minorities in television would lead to more opportunities in films.

The combination of these influences has encouraged the opening up of the airwaves to competition.

wide open

After the stale fug in the tiny cabin, she gulped down the clean sea air, the car window wide open.

His eyes seemed darker blue and more wide open than usual.

Leave the window wide open in winter; turn off the airconditioning in summer.

Some of the villa front doors were wide open to him.

The snap showed Jennifer with eyes closed and mouth wide open.

Their eyes are wide open as they pass the object round.

When I came into the hall, his eyes were wide open, staring straight at me.

wide open/awake/apart

He sat with his legs wide apart.

It was 3 a.m., but I was wide awake.

The door was wide open when we got here.

After an hour, though still wide awake, I crimped the page and turned off the light.

But from what I gathered at the arts fair, the field is pretty wide open.

My big worry is that the Monster will come wide awake and ruin things with its gross demands.

The doors of the Conch cafe were wide open with no sign of Huong or Anna; they had probably evacuated.

The main door stood wide open making a through draught.

These are still very early days and the options are wide open.

They were certainly the first means of crossing wide open spaces that are still vast and untamed, even today.

Turning the corner into Polly's road, Jack noticed suddenly that the door to her house was wide open.

with open arms

My new in-laws accepted me with open arms .

We welcomed Henry's offer with open arms .

And if the turnout was any indication, the parish was welcoming them with open arms .

He greeted Riley with open arms .

Newspapers welcome with open arms a regular, efficient news service on which they can rely.

Not that the profession was necessarily going to welcome me into the fold with open arms .

Now we welcome death with open arms , especially when we are old.

The Greenpeace support was welcomed with open arms .

When Cara got out of the car Mrs Hendry stepped forward with open arms and embraced her new daughter-in-law.

You walk in here and you expect to be welcomed with open arms .

with your eyes open

They went into the deal with their eyes open.

And we lie there, with our eyes open, waiting for the sun.

He was just lying there looking at her as if he was dreaming with his eyes open.

She lies there in the dark, with her eyes open, keeping watch.

She lies with her eyes open, listening to his noisy jerking-off and then his snores.

The young man was gazing straight ahead, as if asleep with his eyes open.

There are some people who get bored who can just fall asleep, standing up with their eyes open.

They will be tough with you, so that you go into self-employment with your eyes open.

Three days after that, I learned that I could begin the ascent with my eyes open.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

"What times do the banks open ?" "Normally at around 9.30."

Open the file called Templates.

Open your books to page 63.

a little gadget that helps you to open jars

A permanent exhibition of Moore's work will open next year.

After a short discussion with the customs officers, the gates opened and the truck moved off.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical will open later this year.

Aren't you going to open your letter?

Ask the waiter to open another bottle of champagne.

Did you open the mail?

Don't open another Coke - you can have the rest of mine.

He opened the door wide, and gestured for me to come in.

Heche opened the news conference by announcing his retirement.

How do you open this umbrella?

It's very hot in here. Do you mind if I open the window?

Judy opened another pack of cigarettes.

On Saturdays, the restaurant opens at 7 p.m.

Police have opened an investigation into the girl's disappearance.

Runyan plans to open a casino.

That window doesn't open .

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

Doors open 15 minutes before the start of each performance.

He opened and shut the drawers and the flap and found what he expected.

It provides start-up dialogues, macro dialogues and exit dialogues to open and close applications.

The animals were fasted for 24 hours and then their abdomen was opened and the stomach exposed under light ether anaesthesia.

The driver whipped round the front of the car and opened my door.

The moment before he had opened it, he had known what would be inside.

III. noun

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADJECTIVE

wide

The race is now wide open .

There, my own history cracked wide open .

The snap showed Jennifer with eyes closed and mouth wide open .

Leave the window wide open in winter; turn off the airconditioning in summer.

Turning the corner into Polly's road, Jack noticed suddenly that the door to her house was wide open .

I will say this only once and I hope your cars are wide open .

His eyes were wide open , but he was, apparently, dead.

■ NOUN

door

He left the bathroom door open , which Folly hated.

Back when me and my buddies were barricading the front door , who left the back door open ?

I waited ten more minutes, then raised the latch and eased the door open until it bumped against his head.

They leave the refrigerator door open for hours at a time.

mouth

She even laughed with her mouth open , so you could see the food in there, if you cared to.

They just sat there with their mouths open .

■ VERB

crack

There, my own history cracked wide open .

The earth cracks wide open and people disappear in it.

keep

Savers must keep the account open for five years to qualify for the tax breaks.

White even tried to keep one branch open until midnight and to put a Laundromat in another.

leave

He left the bathroom door open , which Folly hated.

Back when me and my buddies were barricading the front door, who left the back door open ?

But it's left open who decides this crop requirement.

They leave the refrigerator door open for hours at a time.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

be an open invitation for/to sb

Leaving the car unlocked is just an open invitation to thieves.

The Carter team feared that the remark and the attitude it conveyed would be an open invitation to execute Kim.

burst open

The door burst open and the kids piled into the house.

But then the door bursts open and yet more soldiers push into the room.

Douglas burst open the door into the first, where somebody had lit a lamp.

She says the door bursts open just when they reach the cages and the monster comes through.

The bedroom door had burst open and Peter was striding into the room.

The door of the shuddering carriage burst open, and Fedorov tumbled out, struggling with the woman.

Then the door'd burst open and Albert Swift and his gang had walked in.

Two bags of paper money hurtled on to the road and burst open.

clear/pave/open/prepare etc the way (for sth)

Earlier legislation paved the way by limiting the use of custody as a penalty for offenders under the age of twenty-one.

He believes the Government has missed the opportunity to pave the way for badly needed investment.

He gave as an example some of the early work in genetics which has paved the way for biotechnological developments.

She would pave the way for a much more slender ideal: the flapper.

Such developments are paving the way to rapprochement between conventional and complementary medicine.

Was he paving the way for another referendum?

When Ken wants to give his girlfriend a kiss he first calls in a construction team to clear the way .

come open/undone/loose etc

As she reached the doors they came open, the button pressed by two people outside.

His heart felt it would come loose in his body, so wildly was it beating.

Some ropes had come loose and were swinging wildly in the wind.

Then she felt something on her arm and discovered her scarf had come undone.

Then sprinkle on water and re-trowel in come loose-use an emulsion paint brush.

Think of all the things that come loose around the house.

When the Thayer principalship came open in the summer of 1981, Littky applied and reentered the educational world.

crack open a bottle

fling sth open

hang open

There were cupboards hanging open, mattresses overturned and a bottle of sour milk stood in the sink.

high-collared/open-collared/fur-collared etc

keep an eye open/out (for sb/sth)

Always keeping an eye out in case of thieves.

And we had to keep an eye open for police patrols.

For months, he kept an eye out.

He will keep an eye out, but he can not promise anything.

Male speaker All you got to do is keep an eye open and watch the break lights.

Though he works hard with all the kids, he keeps an eye out for the special ones.

Valueoriented consumers should keep an eye out for the name FabreMontmayou.

keep your ears open

All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open.

They had a kid copper keeping his ears open.

keep/leave your options open

At the end of the season, I will keep my options open.

Either way, you can keep your options open.

Flexibility is key, keeping your options open.

Many young people want to keep their options open.

Some companies are keeping their options open on retaining or dumping anachronistic names.

We must expect to be surprised in the future, and we must keep our options open.

You need to keep your options open in order to change courses at a moment's notice.

lay sb/sth open to sth

And he has laid himself wide open to the kind of criticism that will cloak him in a dark shroud of misery.

If he had said he was acting under his own authority, he would have laid himself open to ridicule.

Is it something you should do, or do you lay yourself open to terrible legal proceedings?

It is not difficult to see how this approach lays itself open to abuse and drastic criticism.

It is not only those who dismiss the arts as self-indulgent who lay themselves open to such a charge.

Not to have taken action, she said, would have laid her department open to a charge of negligence.

The Evangelicals have become a powerful influence in the land and this lays them open to the wooing of politicians.

This would amount to a breach of their contract of employment and lay them open to disciplinary proceedings.

lay sth bare/open

Krushchev laid bare Stalin's crimes.

New bricks were removed, laying bare the old foundations.

on the open market

Berryhill is back on the open market.

HaL is unlikely to sell its chips on the open market.

I hadn't been on the open market for so long.

If the Bank wishes to reduce the money supply it will sell securities through its broker on the open market.

It is likely to be some years before such a product is on the open market.

It will sell the rest on the open market.

Priced on the open market, they would sell for tens and tens of billions of dollars.

They sell bonds on the open market.

open old wounds

Seeing my ex-boyfriend opened some old wounds .

In her innocent curiosity, Cissie had opened old wounds .

Whatever the outcome, Marcos's death has opened old wounds .

open season (on sb)

In the press, it seems to be open season on overpaid executives.

It is open season for criticising UDCs for lack of planning, lack of strategic thinking and short termism.

Payroll allocations can be changed only during an open season.

That's the West Coast Trail, limited to 8,000 hikers during its open season from mid-April to the end of September.

The grin meant it was open season.

There would be an open season on scattered singletons.

open to doubt

But the political and military efficacy of the pacts was always open to doubt .

But whether that amounts to a positive incentive for companies to boost production and revive investment plans is open to doubt .

Faith is something which is merely believed, so it must always expect to be open to doubt .

Further, and more important, it was open to doubt whether the nobility was properly trained for war.

Of course, even if accurately transmitted the reliability of this poetry is still open to doubt .

Whether it will ever be finished is now open to doubt .

Whether it will help in breaking two-party politics is open to doubt .

Whether this kind of Labour Party is capable of winning a general election is open to doubt .

open your mouth

If you can get people to relax, they're more likely to open their mouths and talk.

Angrily she opened her mouth to protest but at that moment the door opened and David appeared.

Even I wouldn't realise until they opened their mouths - which was only to sing the malai national anthem.

He stared, he threw back his head in glad greeting and opened his mouth .

He would croak if he opened his mouth , so he kept it shut.

I opened my mouth to shout for help, but nothing came out.

If you have to be sure before you dare open your mouth , most people are going to stay quiet.

She stumbled to her feet, clutching the eiderdown around her, and opened her mouth to call to them.

The baby robins, scrub jays, finches, sparrows and starlings opened their mouths wide in anticipation.

the opening up of sth

Again the opening up of public procurement procedures should result in a significant increase in intra-EC trade and industry re-structuring.

By 1895 she had attained the opening up of Lincoln's Inn Fields to the poor.

Over the next generation the first phase of the opening up of inland industrial Britain proceeded.

Searching out high-quality old timber is a big factor in the opening up of pristine forests.

Taylor said the opening up of opportunities for minorities in television would lead to more opportunities in films.

The combination of these influences has encouraged the opening up of the airwaves to competition.

throw sth open

wedge sth open/shut

wide open

After the stale fug in the tiny cabin, she gulped down the clean sea air, the car window wide open.

His eyes seemed darker blue and more wide open than usual.

Leave the window wide open in winter; turn off the airconditioning in summer.

Some of the villa front doors were wide open to him.

The snap showed Jennifer with eyes closed and mouth wide open.

Their eyes are wide open as they pass the object round.

When I came into the hall, his eyes were wide open, staring straight at me.

wide open/awake/apart

He sat with his legs wide apart.

It was 3 a.m., but I was wide awake.

The door was wide open when we got here.

After an hour, though still wide awake, I crimped the page and turned off the light.

But from what I gathered at the arts fair, the field is pretty wide open.

My big worry is that the Monster will come wide awake and ruin things with its gross demands.

The doors of the Conch cafe were wide open with no sign of Huong or Anna; they had probably evacuated.

The main door stood wide open making a through draught.

These are still very early days and the options are wide open.

They were certainly the first means of crossing wide open spaces that are still vast and untamed, even today.

Turning the corner into Polly's road, Jack noticed suddenly that the door to her house was wide open.

with open arms

My new in-laws accepted me with open arms .

We welcomed Henry's offer with open arms .

And if the turnout was any indication, the parish was welcoming them with open arms .

He greeted Riley with open arms .

Newspapers welcome with open arms a regular, efficient news service on which they can rely.

Not that the profession was necessarily going to welcome me into the fold with open arms .

Now we welcome death with open arms , especially when we are old.

The Greenpeace support was welcomed with open arms .

When Cara got out of the car Mrs Hendry stepped forward with open arms and embraced her new daughter-in-law.

You walk in here and you expect to be welcomed with open arms .

with your eyes open

They went into the deal with their eyes open.

And we lie there, with our eyes open, waiting for the sun.

He was just lying there looking at her as if he was dreaming with his eyes open.

She lies there in the dark, with her eyes open, keeping watch.

She lies with her eyes open, listening to his noisy jerking-off and then his snores.

The young man was gazing straight ahead, as if asleep with his eyes open.

There are some people who get bored who can just fall asleep, standing up with their eyes open.

They will be tough with you, so that you go into self-employment with your eyes open.

Three days after that, I learned that I could begin the ascent with my eyes open.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

the US Open

Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary.      Дополнительный английский словарь Longman DOCE5.