gashed her chin open?

[Camlearner]

Hi

After all, her husband's grandfather was one of the founders, and she's gotten great treatment there. But when her 4-year-old daughter, Celia, gashed her chin open, Falciani drove right past her ER, which is only minutes away, and traveled nearly an hour to reach Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware.

What does the red phrase mean?

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/15/pediatric.emergency.essentials.p/index.html

Thanks

 

[Copyright]

Have you looked in the dictionary: gash

 

[Camlearner]

Yes Copyright... but what the open here?

I understand gashed her chin is she cuts her chin or makes her chin injured...

 

[Copyright]

I think "open" here is an addition that tells you what it looks like -- like an open wound. We talk about cutting a melon open, for example. Cutting a melon without the open might mean that the two halves are still closed together; open tells you that they have fallen apart and you can see inside.

 

[Camlearner]

Ah... I understand now from your melon cut example. I used to cut it both open and still closer to prepare for my after food. Thanks.