anchor

[ ang-ker ]

/ ˈæŋ kər /

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See synonyms for: anchor / anchored / anchoring on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of various devices dropped by a chain, cable, or rope to the bottom of a body of water for preventing or restricting the motion of a vessel or other floating object, typically having broad, hooklike arms that bury themselves in the bottom to provide a firm hold.

any similar device for holding fast or checking motion: an anchor of stones.

any device for securing a suspension or cantilever bridge at either end.

any of various devices, as a metal tie, for binding one part of a structure to another.

a person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability, or security; mainstay: Hope was his only anchor.

Also anchorman. Radio and Television. a person who is the main broadcaster on a program of news, sports, etc., and who usually also serves as coordinator of all participating broadcasters during the program; anchorman or anchorwoman; anchorperson.

Television. a program that attracts many viewers who are likely to stay tuned to the network for the programs that follow.

Also called anchor store . a well-known store, especially a department store, that attracts customers to the shopping center in which it is located.

Slang. automotive brakes.

Military. a key position in defense lines.

Also anchorman. Sports.

the person on a team, especially a relay team, who competes last.
the person farthest to the rear on a tug-of-war team.

verb (used with object)

to hold fast by an anchor.

to fix or fasten; affix firmly: The button was anchored to the cloth with heavy thread.

to act or serve as an anchor for: He anchored the evening news.

verb (used without object)

to drop anchor; lie or ride at anchor: The ship anchored at dawn.

to keep hold or be firmly fixed: The insect anchored fast to its prey.

Sports, Radio and Television. to act or serve as an anchor.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.

Question 1 of 7

Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?

their

there

they're

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for anchor

at anchor, held in place by an anchor: The luxury liner is at anchor in the harbor.

drag anchor, (of a vessel) to move with a current or wind because an anchor has failed to hold.

drop anchor, to anchor a vessel: They dropped anchor in a bay to escape the storm.

weigh anchor, to raise the anchor: We will weigh anchor at dawn.

Origin of anchor

First recorded before 900; Middle English anker, ancre, Old English ancor, ancer, ancra (compare Old Frisian, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German anker ), from Latin anc(h)ora, from Greek ánkȳra

OTHER WORDS FROM anchor

an·chor·a·ble, adjectivean·chor·less, adjectivean·chor·like, adjectivere·an·chor, verb

un·an·chored, adjectivewell-anchored, adjective

Words nearby anchor

ancestral, ancestress, ancestry, Anchises, ancho, anchor, anchorage, anchor baby, anchor ball, anchor bed, anchor bell

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for anchor

The ongoing campaign utilized primarily PageRank-passing guest blogs with commercial, hard anchor texts.
SEO horror stories: Here’s what not to do|Kaspar Szymanski|August 24, 2020|Search Engine Land
A wave of retail bankruptcies — including of some of Simon’s most important mall anchors and tenants, such as the department store chains JCPenney and Neiman Marcus — is adding to the pressure.
America’s Largest Shopping Mall Owner Gets a New Tenant: Itself|Daniel Malloy|August 20, 2020|Ozy
He spent a year growing that following, throwing everything he had into a career as an online creator with the app as his anchor.
TikTok made him famous. Now he’s imagining a world without it|Abby Ohlheiser|August 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
But, you have less control over the anchor text or the article’s content.
Nine mistakes to avoid when contacting websites for backlinks|Raj Dosanjh|July 29, 2020|Search Engine Watch

Short floating attachment anchors sprouted from the dice, like an octopus’s arms, each chemically fused to an antigen protein.
How Fake Viruses Can Help Us Make the Best Possible Vaccines|Shelly Fan|July 7, 2020|Singularity Hub
Removing choice is bullying and seems a horrid basis on which to anchor your relationship.
Public Marriage Proposals Must Die|Tauriq Moosa|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She added: “NBC News is proud to have David in the important anchor chair of ‘Meet the Press.’ ”
David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in Washingtonian Takedown|Lloyd Grove|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Have a kid here –what some pejoratively refer to as an “anchor baby” – and it is tougher to be deported.
The Progressive Case Against Birthright Citizenship|Keli Goff|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“When immigrants hear ‘anchor babies,’ they hear ‘they hate us,’” says Sharry.
Get Ready to Start Hearing About ‘Executive Amnesty for Anchor Babies’|Eleanor Clift|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Tom Brokaw would anchor for hours on end for breaking news events and things like that,” Roker says.
Al Roker, Sleepless in 30 Rock for #Rokerthon|Lloyd Grove|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At a quarter past seven he took his leave and we let drop our anchor where we were, off Cape Tekke.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
We embarked on the evening of the 28th of June, and weighed anchor before daybreak of the 29th.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
After you have repeated the Correlation, then repeat the two extremes, thus—“Anchor” … “Bolster.”
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
On the 2nd of July, we again attempted to weigh anchor, but with no better success than the day before.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
At eight o'clock the next morning we got underweigh; but the Dick in weighing her anchor found both flukes broken off.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King

British Dictionary definitions for anchor

anchor

/ (ˈæŋkə) /

noun

any of several devices, usually of steel, attached to a vessel by a cable and dropped overboard so as to grip the bottom and restrict the vessel's movement

an object used to hold something else firmly in placethe rock provided an anchor for the rope

a source of stability or securityreligion was his anchor

a metal cramp, bolt, or similar fitting, esp one used to make a connection to masonry
(as modifier)anchor bolt; anchor plate

the rear person in a tug-of-war team
short for anchorman, anchorwoman

at anchor (of a vessel) anchored

cast anchor, come to anchor or drop anchor to anchor a vessel

drag anchor See drag (def. 13)

ride at anchor to be anchored

weigh anchor to raise a vessel's anchor or (of a vessel) to have its anchor raised in preparation for departure

verb

to use an anchor to hold (a vessel) in one place

to fasten or be fastened securely; fix or become fixed firmly

(tr) radio television to act as an anchorman on

Word Origin for anchor

Old English ancor, from Latin ancora, from Greek ankura; related to Greek ankos bend; compare Latin uncus bent, hooked

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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