noun
anchor
ANG-kuh
noun
1
A heavy metal device lowered from a boat to grip the seabed and keep the vessel in place.
"They dropped anchor in a quiet cove for the night."
"The anchor dragged along the bottom until it finally caught."
2
A person who presents a television or radio news broadcast.
"The news anchor calmly read the breaking story live on air."
3
Something that provides steadiness, support, or a sense of security.
"Her faith was an anchor for her during the difficult year."
verb
1
To fix something firmly in place, or to hold a ship steady with an anchor.
"The bookshelf is anchored to the wall to stop it tipping over."
"The ferry anchored just outside the harbor."
How to Use Anchor
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething heavy or fixed that holds another thing steady — literally a ship's anchor, or figuratively a source of stability.
Common pairings
drop anchor
weigh anchor
news anchor
anchor a discussion
anchor point
Word Forms
anchored past tense, anchors plural, anchors plural, anchors singular
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Etymology
From Old English ancor, borrowed from Latin ancora, itself from Ancient Greek ankura.