Anchor /(ăṉ"kẽr)/

An·chor

Anchor

n.
  1. A iron instrument which is attached to a ship by a cable (rope or chain), and which, being cast overboard, lays hold of the earth by a fluke or hook and thus retains the ship in a particular station.
  2. Any instrument or contrivance serving a purpose like that of a ship's anchor, as an arrangement of timber to hold a dam fast; a contrivance to hold the end of a bridge cable, or other similar part; a contrivance used by founders to hold the core of a mold in place.
  3. Fig.: That which gives stability or security; that on which we place dependence for safety.
    Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul.
    — Heb. vi. 19.
  4. An emblem of hope. (Her.)
  5. A metal tie holding adjoining parts of a building together. (Arch.)
  6. One of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain sponges; also, one of the calcareous spinules of certain Holothurians, as in species of Synapta. (Zool.)
  7. an achorman, anchorwoman, or anchorperson. (Television)

Phrases & Compounds
Anchor ice
See under Ice.
Anchor light
See the vocabulary.
Anchor ring
Same as Annulus, 2 (b).
Anchor shot
See the vocabulary.
Anchor space
See the vocabulary.
Anchor stock
the crossbar at the top of the shank at right angles to the arms.
Anchor watch
See the vocabulary.
The anchor comes home
when it drags over the bottom as the ship drifts.
Foul anchor
the anchor when it hooks, or is entangled with, another anchor, or with a cable or wreck, or when the slack cable is entangled.
The anchor is acockbill
when it is suspended perpendicularly from the cathead, ready to be let go.
The anchor is apeak
when the cable is drawn in so tight as to bring the ship directly over it.
The anchor is atrip, [or] aweigh
when it is lifted out of the ground.
The anchor is awash
when it is hove up to the surface of the water.
At anchor
anchored.
To back an anchor
to increase the holding power by laying down a small anchor ahead of that by which the ship rides, with the cable fastened to the crown of the latter to prevent its coming home.
To cast anchor
to drop or let go an anchor to keep a ship at rest.
To cat the anchor
to hoist the anchor to the cathead and pass the ring-stopper.
To fish the anchor
to hoist the flukes to their resting place (called the bill-boards), and pass the shank painter.
To weigh anchor
to heave or raise the anchor so as to sail away.

Anchor

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Anchored; p. pr. & vb. n. Anchoring

  1. To place at anchor; to secure by an anchor; as, to anchor a ship.
  2. To fix or fasten; to fix in a stable condition; as, to anchor the cables of a suspension bridge.
    Till that my nails were anchored in thine eyes.

Anchor

v. i.
  1. To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream.
  2. To stop; to fix or rest.
    My invention . . . anchors on Isabel.

Anchor

n.
  1. An anchoret. [Obs.]