Meaning & use
anchor
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Meanings
nouncountable
A heavy metal object lowered from a boat to catch on the sea floor and hold it in place.
Grammar: Often used with drop, weigh or raise: drop anchor.
Patterns
- drop anchor
- weigh anchor
- at anchor
The crew dropped anchor in a sheltered bay.
The ship lay at anchor all night.
It took four men to lift the heavy anchor.
nouncountablefigurative
A person or thing that gives support and a feeling of stability.
Grammar: Often followed by of or for: an anchor of the family.
Patterns
- an anchor for someone
- an anchor of something
Her grandmother was the anchor of the family.
Routine can be an anchor during hard times.
He was the anchor of the team's defense.
nouncountableAmerican
The main presenter of a news or live television program.
Grammar: Often found before a noun: news anchor. It can be used for both men and women.
Patterns
- a news anchor
- the anchor of something
The anchor read the evening headlines.
She became the anchor of the morning show.
The network hired a new anchor last spring.
verbtransitive
To fix something firmly in place so that it cannot move.
Grammar: Takes an object: anchor the shelf to the wall.
Patterns
- anchor something to something
- anchor something in something
Workers anchored the tent to the ground.
The bookcase must be anchored to the wall.
Her argument was anchored in solid evidence.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To secure a boat with an anchor, or to be secured this way.
Grammar: Can have an object or not: anchor the boat; the boat anchored.
Patterns
- anchor in something
- anchor off somewhere
We anchored the yacht near the island.
The fishing boats anchored in the harbor.
They anchored off the coast until morning.
Word forms
| plural | anchors |
|---|---|
| third person singular | anchors |
| past tense | anchored |
| past participle | anchored |
| -ing form | anchoring |
Common combinations
- drop anchor
- The captain ordered them to drop anchor.
- weigh anchor
- They weighed anchor at dawn.
- news anchor
- The news anchor thanked the guests.
- anchor point
- Find a solid anchor point for the climbing rope.
- safely anchored
- The boat was safely anchored in the cove.
- at anchor
- Several yachts were at anchor near the bay.
Synonyms and how they differ
- presenter
- Presenter is the British word for the main host of a show, and it is not limited to the news as anchor is.
- secure
- Secure means to fasten something so it will not move, but it does not suggest a heavy, fixed point as anchor does.
- mainstay
- Mainstay stresses the person or thing that others rely on most, while anchor adds the idea of keeping things steady.
- fasten
- Fasten joins one thing to another, while anchor implies fixing something against strong force.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: anchor or angle?
anchor vs angle
Angle is the space between two lines, while anchor is a heavy device or a fixing. The words look somewhat alike.
Practice
Which sentence uses anchor as a verb meaning to fix firmly?
Choose one answer.
Only 'anchored the ladder to the wall' uses the verb. The others use anchor as a noun for a device, a presenter or a supporting person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anchor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.