: a device usually of metal attached to a ship or boat by a cable and cast overboard to hold it in a particular place by means of a fluke that digs into the bottom
Noun
The ship dropped anchor in a secluded harbor.
He described his wife as the emotional anchor of his life.
a local bank that has been the financial anchor of the community Verb
They anchored the ship in the bay.
The ship anchored in the bay.
a star quarterback who has anchored the team's offense for many years
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Noun
Mickey piloted the boat to the cliffs, dropped anchor, and the four of them swam to shore.—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025 Coat Schaupp says outerwear is the anchor of any fall European wardrobe.—Alesandra Dubin, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
This year’s roster is anchored by some veterans, but skews heavily toward players with little postseason experience.—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025 Demna managed to create a narrative that was both clever and entirely unexpected, yet profoundly anchored in the house’s storied codes.—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anchor
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English ancre, from Old English ancor, from Latin anchora, from Greek ankyra; akin to Old English anga hook — more at angle
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
: a device usually of metal that is attached to a boat or ship by a cable and that when thrown overboard digs into the earth and holds the boat or ship in place
2
: something that serves to hold an object firmly or that gives a feeling of stability
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