anchor

American  

[ang-ker] / ˈæŋ kər /

noun

• anchors
  plural

1. 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.

2. any similar device for holding fast or checking motion.

   an anchor of stones.

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

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

5. a person or thing that can be relied on for support, stability, or security; mainstay.

   Hope was his only anchor.

6. Radio and Television. Also 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.

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

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

9. Slang. automotive brakes.

10. Military. a key position in defense lines.

11. Sports. Also

    1. the person on a team, especially a relay team, who competes last.

    2. the person farthest to the rear on a tug-of-war team.

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verb (used with object)

• anchors,
  present (3rd person singular)
• anchored,
  past participle,  past
• anchoring
  present participle

1. to hold fast by an anchor.

2. to fix or fasten; affix firmly.

   The button was anchored to the cloth with heavy thread.

3. to act or serve as an anchor for.

   He anchored the evening news.

verb (used without object)

• anchors,
  present (3rd person singular)
• anchored,
  past participle,  past
• anchoring
  present participle

1. to drop anchor; lie or ride at anchor.

   The ship anchored at dawn.

2. to keep hold or be firmly fixed.

   The insect anchored fast to its prey.

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

idioms

1. drop anchor, to anchor a vessel.

   They dropped anchor in a bay to escape the storm.

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

3. weigh anchor, to raise the anchor.

   We will weigh anchor at dawn.

4. at anchor, held in place by an anchor.

   The luxury liner is at anchor in the harbor.

anchor British  

/ ˈæŋkə /

noun

1. 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

2. an object used to hold something else firmly in place

   the rock provided an anchor for the rope

3. a source of stability or security

   religion was his anchor

4. 1. a metal cramp, bolt, or similar fitting, esp one used to make a connection to masonry

   2. ( as modifier )

      anchor bolt

      anchor plate

5. 1. the rear person in a tug-of-war team

   2. short for anchorman anchorwoman

6. (of a vessel) anchored

7. to anchor a vessel

8. See drag

9. to be anchored

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

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verb

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

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

3. (tr) radio television to act as an anchorman on

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reanchor
  verb
• anchorable
  adjective
• anchorless
  adjective
• anchorlike
  adjective
• unanchored
  adjective
• well-anchored
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• anchors
  plural

Participles

• anchoring
  present
• anchored
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• anchor
  simple
• anchors
  simple
• have anchored
  perfect
• has anchored
  perfect
• am anchoring
  progressive
• are anchoring
  progressive
• is anchoring
  progressive
• have been anchoring
  perfect progressive
• has been anchoring
  perfect progressive

Past

• anchored
  simple
• had anchored
  perfect
• was anchoring
  progressive
• were anchoring
  progressive
• had been anchoring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will anchor
  simple
• will have anchored
  perfect
• will be anchoring
  progressive
• will have been anchoring
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

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

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Explanation

On a boat, an anchor is a heavy object attached to a rope. You toss it overboard, it sinks to the bottom, and your vessel doesn't move. Anchor has the sense of what holds something in place. When you anchor a bookshelf to the wall, you affix it to the wall so it won't come down. The anchor of a relay race is the last person to run. It's their job to hold the team's lead. And on televised news, the anchor is the person who is front and center delivering the current events, the one who draws viewers to the news on that particular station.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anchor anchors anchored anchoring

Its genetic instructions included a secretion signal that directs the enzyme outside the cell, along with a lipid anchor that holds it firmly to the cell membrane.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

It has an anchor locker, for heaven’s sake, a wash-down spray hose and a nightclub-caliber sound system that I doubt is Audubon-approved.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

They’re relying on him to anchor their defense and add a much-desired lob threat for guard Luka Doncic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

Staff were told of proposals including ending Radio 4's The World Tonight, and reducing the number of permanent presenters on Today from five to four, with a single anchor on Saturdays.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The both of us anchor her with our eyes.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Outdoors, a swimming pool anchors the backyard, surrounded by mature trees and multiple areas for lounging, dining, and hosting guests.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Scars caused to rare seahorse habitats by boat anchors off the Dorset coast are starting to heal, thanks to the installation of new moorings.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

The holding midfielder, usually Rodrigo Bentancur, anchors the midfield in front of Spurs' two central defenders with this trio remaining fairly fixed.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

At UPI, I recast stories from the Los Angeles Times into wire copy, and at KNX I reworked wire stories into scripts for the anchors to read.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The news anchors came back on, showing off their best surprised faces—mouths open and eyes wide, like the emoji.

From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty

Brasey adds that 2027 will be the trough, with new products only contributing from 2028-2029, and management has anchored to the low end of a 10%-15% margin target for 2030-2031.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

She said conversations have begun about creating — or formally naming — a Westside Arts District anchored by the Hammer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

Tracking data shows the ship was anchored at the southern end of the Bosphorus strait until Monday when it entered the Black Sea heading north.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Both vessels were anchored off the Iranian coast, not moving, according to maritime security firm Vanguard.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

They had been off Alicante about a week when a ship flying the American flag anchored near them—the Ember, from Salem, Captain Gorman commanding.

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham

After anchoring a boat, they placed an underwater speaker in the water and allowed it to drift with the current as far as 19 meters from the vessel.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 30, 2026

In these performances, Parton demonstrated a balance of humour and emotional depth, often anchoring scenes with a distinctly understated presence.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

He has slashed .234/.357/.486 over 1,039 regular-season games with the club, anchoring lineups alongside countless big-name teammates while evolving into a trustworthy defender.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Unlike virtual dark tourism that allows for “armchair travel” to real-world dark heritage sites, there is no physical location anchoring the Backrooms nor any historical tragedy to commemorate.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Joaquin leaned forward, and Maya felt herself reach up and put her hand on his arm, anchoring him to her and Grace.

From "Far from the Tree" by Robin Benway

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Related Words

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• fix
• moor
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