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Synonyms

sheet anchor

American  

noun

  1. Nautical. a large anchor used only in cases of emergency.

  2. a final reliance or resource, as when in danger.

sheet anchor British  

noun

  1. nautical a large strong anchor for use in emergency

  2. a person or thing to be relied upon in an emergency

"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

Etymology

Origin of sheet anchor

First recorded in 1485–95

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.