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

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

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

Towards the end of last season, when Fernandes' contribution was at its most prolific, Benjamin Sesko was a regular in the number nine role, while veteran Brazilian Casemiro was the anchor in United's midfield.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Gorden, the captain and anchor of the defense, is out of contract at the end of the season as is veteran Claire Emslie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Days before, he delivered a characteristically crude address that singled out CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins in front of a hostile crowd, eliciting angry boos and vicious chants.

From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2026

“Cutting free of that anchor leaves only one direction for rates across the curve in this environment — higher,” Duy said in a recent note to clients.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

In a cracked voice, the Boss ordered the sea anchor brought in.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Three large stone anchors were found, as well as more than 30 ceramic storage pots, called amphorae.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

The former “Good Morning America” anchors tied the knot in a private Arkansas ceremony back in September.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

However, publicly available studies on its projects “are non-existent, leaving few anchors on which to pin modeling assumptions.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Santana’s Marisol, likable yet spiky, anchors the revival.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

One of the anchors mentioned the name of his old company, and he raged.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

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

Another arguably fusionist figure discussed in the book is Ronald Reagan, who combined libertarian leanings with genuine appreciation for freedom anchored in virtue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

The tanker was recently anchored just north of Iran’s Larak island, according to data from Kpler.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

For all the concern over inflation being too high for too long, a market-based measure points to it remaining more anchored over the long term.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

She has found it: a crinkled brown cocoon, anchored on a branch like a sailor’s hammock.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman

"We used structural studies and biophysical measurements to determine that TCIP3 acts as a kind of molecular glue, anchoring these proteins together," Gourisankar said.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

World Trade Center downtown into a 512-unit complex anchoring a campaign to build 4,000 affordable apartments across L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 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

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

Middle C, I soon learned, was the anchoring point.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• attach
• dock
• fasten
• fix
• moor
• secure
• tie up