open order
- noun
- Specialized
:
formación abierta
- The soldiers lined up in open order for their commanding officer's inspection.
Examples
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During the parade, the unit was instructed to fall in at open order.
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The general called for the soldiers to form an open order.
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An open order allowed the inspector to move easily between the ranks.
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The troops stood in open order for inspection.
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An open order allowed the inspector to move easily between the ranks.
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The soldiers lined up in open order for their commanding officer's inspection.
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During the parade, the unit was instructed to fall in at open order.
Synonyms
1
4.8
A group of soldiers who move in a set pattern to fight
Soldiers spread far apart to avoid enemy fire and move across rough ground
How Open
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase pairs 'open' (not closed) with 'order' in the sense of an arrangement or formation, so if a learner knows 'order' as 'arrangement/formation' the meaning ‘a formation with space between ranks’ is reasonably derivable. However, many learners know 'order' primarily as 'a command' and the military-specific sense is specialized, making the relation only partially predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase open order comes from the army: order meant a line of soldiers and open meant there were gaps so an officer could walk between the rows. That's why it means a 'formation' with space to move through.