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Entry 12 senses · 4 variants Webster, 1913

Anchor

/(ăṉ"kẽr)/ · An·chor · IPA /ˈæŋ.kə/
01 n. 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 fluk…
  1. 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. 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. 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. 4.
    An emblem of hope.(Her.)
  5. 5.
    A metal tie holding adjoining parts of a building together.(Arch.)
  6. 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. 7.
    an achorman, anchorwoman, or anchorperson.(Television) See: achorman, anchorwoman, anchorperson
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.
02 v. t. To place at anchor; to secure by an anchor; as, to anchor a ship.
imp. & p. p. Anchored; p. pr. & vb. n. Anchoring
  1. 1.
    To place at anchor; to secure by an anchor; as, to anchor a ship.
  2. 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.” — Shak.
03 v. i. To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream.
  1. 1.
    To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream.
  2. 2.
    To stop; to fix or rest.
    “My invention . . . anchors on Isabel.” — Shak.
04 n. An anchoret.
  1. 1.
    An anchoret.[Obs.]