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open season

 - 2 dictionary results

open season

–noun
1. a specific season or time of year when it is legal to catch or hunt for fish or game protected at all other times by the law.
2. a period of time in which a person or thing is exposed to criticism, attack, or recrimination: Election year is open season on all incumbents.

Origin:
1895–1900, Americanism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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open season  
n.  
  1. The period during which it is legal to hunt or catch game or fish.

  2. Informal A time of unrestrained harassment, criticism, or attack: "By 1950 it was open season on Communists and their fellow travelers" (Boston).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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