open carry

¹

[oh-puhn kar-ee]

noun

1. the practice of publicly carrying a gun or other weapon that is fully or partially visible.

open-carry

²

[oh-puhn-kar-ee]

verb (used with or without object)

open-carried, open-carrying 

1. to openly carry a gun or other weapon in public.

   He open-carried a pistol to his daughter’s school.

Word History and Origins

Origin of open carry¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Origin of open carry²

First recorded in 1985–90; open ( def. ) + carry ( def. )