open sesame
Originating from the story of 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves' in 'One Thousand and One Nights,' 'open sesame' is a magical phrase that grants access to a hidden treasure.
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Definition
B2Literature
(historical, magical)A magical phrase used to open a door or unlock a secret.
Example
- In the tale, Ali Baba uses 'open sesame' to gain entry to the treasure cave.
B2General
(idiom)A means of achieving a desired result, often easily or unexpectedly.
Example
- Her excellent networking skills were the open sesame to her career success.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "open sesame":
open the dooropen dooropen updoor openeropen its doorsopen wideopen oopen fanbreak open