▪ I. anchor, n.1
(ˈæŋkə(r))
Forms: 1 ancor, -er, oncer, 1–7 ancre, 2–7 anker, 4–5 -yr, 4– 6 -re, -ir, 6 ancour, anchore, (anger), 7 ankor, ancker, anchour, 6– anchor.
[OE. ancor, a. L. ancora (sometimes erron. spelt anchora), ? cogn. w. or adoption of Gr. ἄγκῡρα, f. stem αγκ-, anc-. ‘bend, crook, hook,’ whence Eng. angle. Cf. OHG. anchar (LG., MHG. anker) directly cogn. w. OE.; also ON. akkeri (Sw. ankare, Da. anker) from L. independently. The ME. form with final -e is probably influenced by OFr. ancre:—L. ancora. The current spelling anchor is a pedantic corruption, imitating the erroneous L. anchora.]
1. An appliance for holding a ship, etc., fixed in a particular place, by mooring it to the bottom of the sea or river; now consisting of ‘a heavy iron, composed of a long shank, having a ring at one end to which the cable is fastened, and at the other branching out into two arms or flukes, tending upwards, with barbs or edges on each side.’ J.
Anchors are of various sizes. The largest is the sheet-anchor; next in size are the bower-anchors, hung in the bows of the ship; the smallest is the kedge-anchor. foul anchor is when the anchor becomes in any way entangled.
| c 880 K. ælfred Boeth. x. 30 Ðin ancor is ᵹit on eorþan fæst..Eala wæran þa ancras swa trume! c 1205 Lay. 25517 Wind wex an honde, ankeres [1250 ancreas] heo up droȝen. c 1230 Ancr. R. 142 Ase ancre under schipes borde, uorte holden þet schip. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 418 Kable, oþer capstan to clyppe to her ankreȝ. 1382 Wyclif Acts xxvii. 40 Thei hadden takun vp the ancris. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ii. (1520) 10 b/2 He lete the ancres wynde up and sayled into the hye see. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. iv. 128 Of oure foreschip ankirris lete vve doun. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, i. iv. 26 Wedges of Gold, great Anchors, heapes of Pearle..All scattred in the bottome of the Sea. 1692 in Smith's Seaman's Gram. i. xvi. 75 The Anchor is foul, that is, the Cable is got about the Fluke. 1694 Lond. Gaz. mmmxxiii/1 As soon as they could get up their Anchors they sailed away. 1709 Ibid. mmmmdxxi/2 One of the Flukes of the Spare-Anchor [was]..shot off. 1727 Swift Gulliver i. v. 59 Not a ship would stir..too fast held by their anchors. 1779 Cook Voy. (1790) V. 1818 We had lost our kedge anchor. 1807 Robinson Archæol. Græca iv. xv. 392 The most ancient anchors were only large stones bored through the middle. 1835 Sir J. Ross N.-W. Pass., Let go the bower-anchor. 1864 Tennyson En. Ard. 18 Anchors of rusty fluke. |
2. fig. That which gives the feeling of stability or security; a ground or source of abiding confidence.
| 1382 Wyclif Heb. vi. 19 The which as an ankir we han sikir to the soule [1611 Which hope we haue as an anker of the soule. (So in all other versions.)] c 1400 Rom. Rose 3780 So farith Love, that selde in oon Holdith his anker. a 1536 Tindale Wks. 166 (R.) The roote and grounde of all, and the ancre that neuer fayleth. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, v. iv. 13 Say Warwicke was our Anchor: what of that? 1699 Bentley Phal. 303 One Passage more..his last Anchor, to prove his notable point. 1754 Chatham Lett. iv. 27 Hold fast..by this sheet-anchor of happiness, Religion. 1781 Cowper Hope 167 Hope as an anchor, sure and firm, holds fast. 1864 Tennyson En. Ard. 222 Cast all your cares on God; that anchor holds. |
¶ From the passage in
Heb. vi. 19, quoted above, an
anchor is used as the symbol of
hope, as a
cross is of
faith, and a
heart of
love or
charity.
3. a. transf. Any contrivance or instrument which fulfils a similar purpose to that of an anchor, by holding fast or giving security;
also, an anchor-shaped appendage, as the spicules on the skin of Holothuroids.
| 1855 Gosse Mar. Zool. I. 114 In Lerneoma the head..being furnished with a prong on each side curving backwards, forms a powerful anchor by which the parasite is firmly moored to its hapless prey. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. §22. 157 In some places, however, the anchor [axe] had but a loose hold. 1870 Nicholson Zool. (1880) 221 In Chirodota the skin is provided with microscopic calcareous wheels, in the place of anchors. Ibid., The Synaptæ..have the skin furnished with innumerable anchor-shaped spicules attached to special ‘anchor-plates’ in the integument. 1906 Westm. Gaz. 29 Aug. 2/1 The tram lines that corrugate most freely are those which are laid on the concrete foundation without anchors. 1951 Gloss. Terms Plastics (B.S.I.) 44 Anchor. In injection moulding. An undercut extension to the feed. It is usually located on an ejector pin to facilitate the removal of the stalk from the mould. |
b. Billiards. A stroke in which the two object-balls are kept close to or against the cushion so that a series of cannons can be made without disturbing their position; in full
anchor cannon,
anchor shot,
anchor stroke. Also
anchor baulk-line: one of four lines drawn on a billiard table to form spaces in which the number of cannons allowed is restricted; hence
anchor-space.
| 1901 World of Billiards 25 Sept. 460/2 When the two object balls are at rest in any one of the eight spaces, one or both of the object balls must be driven out... The same condition applies to the anchor. 1904 S. A. Mussabini Billiards Expounded i. 20 The greatest thing known to close-cannon play is the ‘anchor stroke’. 1907 Daily Chron. 15 Mar. 8/5 T. Reece..went on with his ‘anchor’ cannon until he had reached an item of 1,825. 1907 T. Reece in Ibid. 27 Mar. 5/5 To the ordinary, everyday billiard player..I would not recommend a cultivation of this ‘anchor’. 1910 Encycl. Brit. III. 939/1 The ‘anchor baulk-lines’ form a tiny compartment, 6 in. by 3, and are drawn at the end of a baulk-line where it touches the rail and so divides the compartment into two squares. Only one shot is allowed in this ‘anchor-space’, unless a ball be driven out of it. 1911 C. Roberts Compl. Billiard Player xx. 146 (caption) Position of balls in the famous anchor cannon, from which T. Reece made 499,135 in 1907. 1922 Westm. Gaz. 16 Oct., The push-stroke and the anchor-cannon were eliminated when the need for their elimination became obvious. |
c. Athletics. The end member of a tug-of-war team, who secures the rope by looping it round his body;
= anchor-man (below).
| 1909 T. A. Cook et al. 4th Olympiad 92 Tug of War..The Americans were magnificent athletes, but were not aware how to tie an anchor or how to place their men. 1911 Encycl. Brit. XXVII. 365/1 When a tug-of-war takes place out of doors the men, or at least the ‘anchors’, are allowed to dig holes in the ground for their feet. |
d. Athletics. The person who runs the last section of a relay race; also
attrib.| 1934 in Webster. 1958 Observer 27 July 22/2 On the anchor leg, M. C. Spence..finished first by ten yards for his team. Ibid. 3 Aug. 16/1 M. Spence..held off Britain's J. E. Salisbury on the anchor stage to win by a long yard. 1961 Sunday Times 16 July 20/7 He must surely be our best prospect as an anchor runner for the relay against America next week. |
e. pl. Brakes.
slang.| 1936 Daily Herald 5 Aug. 8/4 List of busmen's slang phrases..Anchors (Brakes). 1965 Priestley & Wisdom Good Driving vii. 55 There is more to it..than just putting on the brakes—or, to use the colourful language of the sporting motorist, ‘clapping on the anchors’. |
4. A compère of a radio or television programme,
esp. the host presenter of a news programme;
= anchor-man, avoiding reference to sex. Chiefly
U.S.| 1965 Guardian 20 Sept. 4/8 ‘Panorama’ will continue... Richard Dimbleby remains the anchor. 1976 National Observer (U.S.) 16 Oct. 10/3 Network television's highest paid..news-show anchor. 1978 Americana Ann. 482 NBC moved David Brinkley to Washington, as permanent anchor there for the news of the nation's capital. 1984 New Yorker 13 Aug. 22/3 Nine hundred thousand dollars—about what it would cost to buy a second-string anchor in commercial television. |
5. † a. From its action: the pin or ‘chape of a buckle; a buckle is usually described with its {oqq}tongue and anchor.{cqq}’ T.
Obs. b. Arch. ‘An ornament shaped similarly to an anchor or arrow-head; used with the egg ornament to decorate or enrich mouldings. Used in all the orders but only applied to the moulding called the Echinus or quarter round.’ Gwilt 1876.
| 1663 Gerbier Counsel 70 Small Beads with round and long ones at one peny and..the edges and anckers at foure pence per foot. 1751 Chambers Cycl., Anchor, in architecture and sculpture, denotes an ornament in form of an anchor, or arrow's-head. |
6. Phrases from sense 1.
lit. and
fig. a. at anchor,
† at an, the, anchor, in
OE. on ancre: anchored, held by the anchor.
| a 1000 Beowulf 3771 Sæ-genga [i.e. the ship] se þe on ancre rád. Ibid. 611 Scip on ancre fæst. 1393 Gower Conf. II. 27 His ship on anker rode. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 250 Manye shyppes, some vnder sayle..some lienge at the anger. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres v. ii. 129 The enemies fleet riding easily at an anker. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. xii. lii, Whilst I in vale of tears at anchour ride. 1666 Pepys Diary 4 June, We found the Dutch fleet at anchor. 1740 Woodroofe in Hanway Trav. (1762) I. iv. lix. 273 It is always found the best method to lie at single anchor. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. ciii. 20 A little shallop lay At anchor in the flood. |
b. to come to (an) anchor:
= anchor v. 2, 4.
| 1590 Pasquil's Apol. i. D iiij b, But to come to anker..let them..become of one hart with vs. 1595 T. Maynarde Drake's Voy. (1849) 7 On Friday..we came to anchor. 1790 Beatson Nav. & Mil. Mem. I. 156 All the ships had come to an anchor. |
c. to cast anchor: to let down or ‘drop’ the anchor;
hence, to bring the ship to rest, to take up a position. Also of the ship:
she cast anchor.
| a 1300 K. Horn 1014 Hi strike seil and maste And ankere gunne caste. c 1450 Lonelich Grail xx. 122 Heren ancres they casten þere anon, Forto abyden there that nyht. 1526 Tindale Acts xxvii. 29 They caste iiii ancres out of the sterne [Wyclif, sendinge foure ancris; 1611 cast foure ancres]. 1719 De Foe Crusoe (1865) 39 We dropped our little anchor, and lay still all night. 1780 W. Coxe Russ. Discov. 31 They were driven to the other side of the same island, where they cast anchor. |
d. to weigh anchor: to take up the anchor so as to sail away.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. C. 103 Wiȝt at þe wyndas weȝen her ankres. c 1440 Morte Arth. 493 Þey weyde up þeire ankyrs. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis iii. (Arb.) 78 We weyed the anchors. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles iii. iv, And Cormac Doil in haste obey'd, Hoisted his sail, his anchor weigh'd. |
e. the anchor comes home:
i.e. is dragged from its hold. So, a ship
drags her anchor. To
slip the anchor, to let it go by letting the cable slip.
| 1694 Lond. Gaz. mmmxxiii/1 The Wind blowing very hard..riding in deep Water, his Ankors came home. 1719 De Foe Crusoe (1865) 30 We thought once or twice our anchor had come home. |
7. Comb. chiefly
attrib., as
anchor-ball (see
quot.);
anchor bolt (see
quots.);
anchor-chocks (see
quot.);
anchor escapement = recoil escapement;
anchor-frost, a miller's term for the clogging of a mill-wheel with ice below the water-surface;
† anchor-gable, an anchor cable;
anchor-ground, anchorage ground;
anchor-hoops, iron hoops binding the stock to the shank of the anchor;
anchor-ice, ice formed at the bottom of lakes and rivers, ground-ice;
anchor-line, a line attached to or serving as an anchor (see also
quot. 1909); also
transf. and
fig.;
anchor-lining = bill-boards;
anchor-man,
† (
a) he who has charge of the anchor; (
b)
transf. and
fig. the person at the end of a group tugging a rope, roped together, etc.; (
c) a compère of a radio or television programme;
cf. sense 4 above;
† anchor-master = anchor-man (a);
anchorperson = sense 4 above; see
person n. 2 f;
anchor-plate, a heavy piece of timber or metal, serving as a point of support (
e.g. for the cables of a suspension-bridge); see also 3;
anchor-ring, (
a) the great ring for attaching the cable; (
b)
Geom.,
= annulus 2;
anchor-shackle, an iron loop used instead of an anchor-ring;
anchor-smith, a maker of anchors;
anchor-tow, the cable of an anchor;
anchor-watch, a detachment of seamen kept on deck to perform any duties depending on the ship's position while she lies at anchor;
anchorwoman, a female presenter of a radio or television news programme;
cf. sense 4 and
anchorperson above.
Also
anchor-like,
anchor-shaped,
anchor-wise; and
anchor-hold1, -stock,
q.v.| 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., *Anchor-ball, a pyrotechnical combustible attached to a grapnel for adhering to and setting fire to ships. |
| a 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. I. 96 *Anchor bolt (Machinery), one having an expanded shank to prevent its drawing out. 1957 Gloss. Terms for Stone used in Building (B.S.I.) 21 Anchor bolt, a T-shaped bolt for attaching fascia and similar stones to a supporting R.S.J. |
| 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., *Anchor-chocks, pieces indented into a wooden anchor-stock where it has become worn or defective in the way of the shank; also pieces of wood or iron on which an anchor rests when it is stowed. |
| 1854 E. B. Denison in Encycl. Brit. VII. 8/1 The ‘*anchor’ escapement..appears to have been invented by the celebrated Dr. Hooke as early as the year 1656. |
| 1867 G. J. Whyte-Melville in Fortn. Rev. Nov. 588 Bright enough to thaw an *anchor-frost on the mill-wheel. |
| 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xiv. ii. 4 Creeping on all foure among the *anchor-gables. |
| 1815 Niles' Reg. IX. 201/1 On the same day the *anchor-ice began to run a little. 1877 Green Phys. Geol. iii. §2. 109 Anchor-ice forms sometimes..at the bottom of lakes and rivers while the rest of the water remains unfrozen. |
| 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. 195 The *anchor-like piece of iron by which the main tackle blocks are hung. |
| 1906 Westm. Gaz. 29 Sept. 13/3 The first thread spun [by a spider] is secured to the ground as an *anchor-line. 1909 Cent. Dict. Suppl., Anchor-line, a line attached to a small buoy and to one fluke of an anchor: used in towing a raft of logs and to free the anchor when fast to rocks or snags. (U.S.) 1910 Belloc Verses 47, I stand at home and slip the anchor-line. |
| 1598 *anchor-maker [see anchor master below]. 1831 J. Holland Manuf. Metal I. 95 Different anchor-makers have their respective rules of proportion. 1870 [See 3]. |
| a 1200 in Wright Voc. 88/2 Proreta, *ankermon. 1911 Encycl. Brit. XXVII. 365/1 Some rules allow the ‘anchor-men’, who hold the ends of the rope, to fasten it to their persons. 1955 E. Hillary High Adv. ix. 173 Ang Temba went first..; then Tom Bourdillon; and finally Charles Evans as anchor-man. 1957 L. P. Hartley Hireling i. 9 The driver..[had] been the anchorman in many a tug-of-war. 1958 Spectator 29 Aug. 278/2 Mr. Williams is almost always there on this kind of occasion as a tubby anchor-man. 1958 Observer 28 Dec. 3/1 Its [sc. a television programme's] remarkable compère or anchor-man, Cliff Michelmore. |
| 1598 Florio, Ancoraio, an *anchor master or an *anchor maker. |
| 1973 Newsweek 2 July 50/2 In her new job—which she will share with co-*anchorperson Hughes Rudd—Quinn hopes to achieve a tone that is ‘comfortable and relaxed.’ 1982 Amer. Banker 31 Mar. 11/4 Individual interviews..will include questions from different anchorpersons. |
| 1883 W. Conant in Harper's Mag. 932/1 At the bottom..are imbedded four massive *anchor-plates of cast iron, one for each of the cables. |
| 1863 Frost & Wolstenholme Solid Geom. xiv. 213 An *anchor ring, supposed to be generated by the revolution of a circle about an axis in its plane not intersecting the circle. |
| 1862 Ansted Channel Isl. ii. ix. (ed. 2) 238 Small, *anchor-shaped calcareous plates. 1870 [See 3 above]. |
| 1662 Pepys Diary 27 Apr., Visited the Mayor, Mr. Timbull, our *anchor-smith. 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 14 Chosen by Anchor-Smiths, because it abides the Heat better than other Iron. |
| 1637 Rutherford Lett. 107 (1862) I. 271 The *anchor-tow abideth fast within the vail: the end of it is in Christ's ten fingers. c 1860 Longfellow Dutch Pict. ix, A ship that..tugs at her anchor-tow. |
| 1876 Davis Polaris Exp. viii. 219 The tidal observations were made by..the *anchor-watch during the remaining nine hours. |
| 1976 People Weekly 26 Apr. 18/1 She would be the first *anchorwoman ever on national television. 1985 N.Y. Times 15 Dec. xi. 2/4 She was a correspondent and anchorwoman in New York for the NBC Radio Network News. |
▸
orig. U.S. A business or organization regarded as a key presence in a particular area or development;
spec. a large store which attracts customers and other businesses to a shopping centre. Freq.
attrib., as
anchor store,
anchor tenant, etc.
| 1939 Los Angeles Times 16 July v. 1 (advt.) New Income Building..—good anchor tenant—excellent investment. 1975 Business Week 8 Dec. 51/1 The big ‘anchor stores’ that acted as magnets for customers of suburban shopping centers—and often owned them. 1990 Financial Post (Toronto) 31 Oct. 48/5 The bank..acquired the Forest Fair mall..when the mall lost three of its big six anchors. 2005 Milwaukee Jrnl. Sentinel (Nexis) 30 Jan. The main developers..have landed three anchor attractions. |
▸
Computing. A section of a hypertext document which is the source or destination of a hyperlink; the tags used in markup languages (
esp. HTML) to create such a hyperlink or to name a section of a hypertext document so that it may be referred to in a hyperlink.
| 1988 N. Yankelovich et al. in S. Ambron & K. Hooper Interactive Multimedia 61 Textual anchors are currently limited to insertion points and are represented internally by only one pointer. 1995 Online Access Sept. 51/2 There are two types of anchors: reference anchors and named anchors. 1996 Byte Oct. 72/2 You create drill-down hyperlinks to other pages by use of HTML anchor tags. 2001 Courier Mail (Queensland) (Nexis) 20 Jan. 1 The site here offers a collection of source documents and official US military histories related to World War II. All are presented in HTML format, with hyperlinks wherever appropriate, and anchors to permit easy linking/citation of the volumes. |
▸
Association Football. Also more fully
midfield anchor. A defensive midfield player who plays in a position just in front of the team's defence.
| [1976 Times 21 Oct. 11/2 To be fair to Birmingham they were without their midfield anchor man Kendall.] 1984 Times 10 May 23/2 England has made it clear that he regards Jackett as his first choice for the midfield ‘anchor’ role. 1994 Scotl. on Sunday (Electronic ed.) 2 Oct. Kilmarnock were playing with attitude and skill, knocking the ball around the midfield and..repeatedly drawing the Aberdeen anchor Irvine wide. 2003When Saturday/Sunday Comes in uk.sport.football (Usenet newsgroup) 30 Apr. The midfield anchor was critical in the win against Man City, and will have to do it all again against an attack-minded Chelsea side. |
▪ II. † ˈanchor, n.2 Obs. Forms: 1
ancra, 3–6
ancre, 4–5
ankre, 4–7
anker, 5
ankyr,
aunker, 5–6
anchor(e.
pl. -s; 1
ancran, 3
-en, 3–6
-es, 5–6
anker(e)s,
anchor(e)s.
[OE. ancra, ǫncra, for ancora, *ancoro, shortened f. L. *anchorēta, anachōrēta: see anchorite. App. made áncora by ‘popular etymology’ after án ‘one, alone’; the similarly transformed OS. ênkoro, OHG. einchoran (cf. OHG. einsidilo, mod.G. einsiedel, -ler), were according to Sievers, prob. adaptations of the OE. ME. again had a short before two cons. OE. had prob. ancra masc., ancre fem., though the latter is not recorded; in ME. ancre was of common gender; the fem. ancress, ankeress, anchoress, appeared in 14th c., and an extended masc. ankerer in 16th; but Fr. anachorète, modified to anchoret, anchorite, has superseded the earlier forms, anchor appearing last (as current wd.) in Shakes.] 1. An
anchorite.
| a 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wright Voc. 42 Anachoreta, ancra. c 1230 Ancr. R. 10 Powel þe erest ancre, Antonie, & Arsenie. c 1300 St. Brand. 330 The threteoth fram the to the Ylle of Ankres schal wende. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. Prol. 28 Ancres and Hermytes þat holdeþ hem in heore celles. 1387 Trevisa Higden Rolls Ser. VI. 149 He lyvede anker his lyf. 1432–50 tr. Higden ibid., Lyvede after as an ankre in yle of Farne. 1496 Dives & Paup. (W. de Worde) vi. xiii. 253/1 Whan men take them to be ankeres and recluses. c 1500 Robt. Deuyll in Prose Rom. 1858 I. 23 We have robbed and kylled nonnes, holy aunkers, preestes. 1529 More Comf. agst. Tribul. iii. Wks. 1557, 1247/1 Ancres and ancresses most especiallye. a 1536 Tindale Exp. Matt. Wks. II. 42 Monks..whether obseruant or ancre. 1553–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 113/1 To Crowland, where he led the life of an Anker. 1599 Bp. Hall Satires iv. ii. 103 Sit seauen yeares pining in an anchores cheyre. 1604 Shakes. Ham. iii. ii. 229 (2nd Qo.) And anchors cheere [i.e. chair] in prison be my scope. 1872 [See anchorage2]. |
2. An
anchoress. Well known in the book-title
Ancren Riwle, the ‘Rule of Nuns.’
| c 1230 Ancr. R. 4 Nu aski ȝe hwat riwle ȝe ancren schullen holden? 1297 R. Glouc. 380 An ancre..Þat nolde vor non þyng fle out of hyre house. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 144 In þe castel of corf ich shal do þe [womman] close Ther as an ancre. c 1400 Rom. Rose 6351 Now lyk an anker in an hous..And now a nonne, and now abbesse. 1466 Past. Lett. 549 II. 267 To the Prioress of Carow, vis. viiid. To a maide that came with her, xxd. To the anchors xld. |
¶ At an early period fancifully associated with
anchor n.1| c 1230 Ancr. R. 142 For þi is ancre icleoped ancre, & under chirche iancred, ase ancre under schipes borde. |
3. Comb. anchor-house, an anchorite's cell; also, a monastery or nunnery;
anchor-settle,
-saidell, an anchorite's seat or cell, also applied to the occupant, an anchorite.
| c 1230 Ancr. R. 88 From smiðe, & from ancre huse, me tiðinge bringeð. 1086 O.E. Chron., Tweᵹen háliᵹe menn..on ancersettle wuniende. 1516 Diurn. Occur. (1833) 6 Thair was ane woman..ane anarcadell inclosit in the Grenesyid. 1603 Philotus cxxiv, I charge the..Thow neyther girne, gowl, glowme, nor gaip, Lyke Anker saidell, like vnsell Aip. |
▪ III. anchor, v. (
ˈæŋkə(r))
Also 3–7
ancre,
-ker, 7
-kor.
[? a. Fr. ancre-r, f. ancre; cf. med.L. ancorāre. (There may have been an OE. ancri-an, unrecorded.)] 1. trans. To secure (the ship) with an anchor; to place at, or bring to, anchor.
| c 1230 Ancr. R. 142 For þi is ancre..under chirche iancred. 1489 Caxton Faytes of Armes i. xvii. 49 They must be ancred within the watre that they may be stedfast. 1513 Douglas æneis vii. iii. 8 At the schore..Thare nauy can thay anker fast and hank. 1813 Southey Nelson ix. 348 It was not possible to anchor the fleet. 1851 Sir F. Palgrave Eng. & Norm. I. 517 (L.) He there anchored his bark. |
2. intr. To cast anchor, to come to anchor. (Said either of the crew or the ship.)
| 1578 T. N. tr. Conq. W. Ind. 37 Cortez..anckred at the rivers mouth. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 289 Sea-faring men..whose Bark by chance Or Pinnace anchors in a craggy Bay. 1718 Lady M. Montague Lett. II. xlix. 52 We anchored in the Hellespont. 1813 Southey Nelson v. 147 The Vanguard was the first that anchored. |
3. fig. trans. To fix as with an anchor, to fix firmly or abidingly.
| 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, iv. iv. 231 Till that my Nayles were anchor'd in thine eyes. 1663 Gerbier Counsel 44 The doore-cases, well ankered into the wall. 1855 Owen Comp. Anat. xiii. 275 (L.) The feet..permanently anchor the parasite to its prey. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. §22. 157 My first care was to anchor it [ice-axe] firmly in the snow. |
4. fig. refl. and intr. To fix oneself, one's attention, thought; take up a position.
| 1581 Sidney Astroph. (T.) [She] will'd me these tempests of vain love to fly, And anchor fast myself on virtue's shore. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. iv. 4 Whilst my Inuention, hearing not my Tongue, Anchors on Isabell. 1797 Godwin Enquirer ii. v. 238 He..advances..up the province upon which he anchors. |
5. trans. To present (a radio or television news programme);
intr., to act as an anchorperson.
| 1961 Sunday Times 26 Feb. 48/5 They employed Mr. John Freeman to anchor an hour of absorbing recapitulation. 1976 Time 31 May 39/2 Barbara Walters..will be the highest-paid woman ever to anchor a national news program. 1977 New Yorker 11 Apr. 104/2 Her ambition is simple and straightforward—‘to anchor in a top-ten market’. 1986 G. Priestland Something Understood ix. 248 The prestige programme of radio talks and documentaries department was Analysis, then anchored by Ian McIntyre. |
▸
trans. orig. U.S. Of a business or organization: to serve as an anchor for (an area or development).
Cf. anchor n.1 Additions.
| 1967 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 12 May 3/7 Anchoring the strip on the north would be a civic complex. 1989 RIBA Jrnl. Aug. 68/2 The new catering facilities..may have had as much impact in increasing circulation as the new Marks and Spencer satellite store built to ‘anchor’ the area. 2005 Leader-Post (Regina, Sask.) (Nexis) 17 Jan. b7 Two provincial Crown corporations..anchored the development. |
▪ IV. anchor obs. form of
anker.