What does open mean

Crossword clues for open

open

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

open

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 verdictBritish 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.

▪ 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.