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

Bianna Golodryga teamed up with Israeli TV news anchor Yonit Levi to write ‘Don’t Feed the Lion.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

CNN's chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, has announced she will leave the organisation next year after more than four decades.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

She also served as anchor of the ABC News Washington roundtable program “This Week” from August 2010 to December 2011.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

Ueda said underlying inflation was quite close to 2% and reiterated that the BOJ wants to anchor the rate at the central bank’s target of 2%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

They stopped to refill with fresh water, dropping anchor in a cove on the island of Karkara.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Their hosts feel less distant than cable news anchors, more like people speaking honestly without a script.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

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

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

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

The crew scattered to their jobs, running to release the lines on the ship and raise the anchors.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

I never really found the movies particularly scary, as they’re anchored by a shaky premise, mediocre scripts, subpar acting and flat characters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

In the tug of war between bears and bulls, each side is anchored by data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

The living room is anchored by a bold, black brick fireplace that brings warmth to the area both literally and visually.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 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

The dock was surrounded by anchored nauka bobbing in the current.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

Mr. Potter’s “Souls Harbor,” which blends gorgeously harmonized phrases, also highlights Mr. Holland’s skills at anchoring a band, whether with skittering figures, conventional “walking” or by digging into a single low tone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

"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

Anderson anchoring the midfield suggests Maresca sees him as Rodri's successor.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

The roots began to move, digging deeper as they touched the earth, anchoring the oak until it looked like it had stood in that spot for centuries.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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Related Words

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

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