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sheet anchor

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noun
Nautical. a large anchor used only in cases of emergency.
a final reliance or resource, as when in danger.
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Origin of sheet anchor

First recorded in 1485–95
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sheet anchor in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sheet anchor

sheet anchor

noun
nautical a large strong anchor for use in emergency
a person or thing to be relied upon in an emergency

Word Origin for sheet anchor

C17: from earlier shute anker, from shoot (obsolete) the sheet of a sail
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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