: 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
Mesa Economic Development Director Jaye O’Donnell said Macerich, the owner of the mall but not all of the anchor stores, has expressed interest in adding new shopping and restaurants in and around the mall site.—Corina Vanek, AZCentral.com, 23 July 2025 These include fold-down aft bulwarks that enlarge the beach club area when at anchor (a feature first seen on the GTX 80) and a vertically sliding glass partition that separates the aft deck seating area from the interior bar and galley.—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 23 July 2025
Verb
Here, a stone fireplace anchors the family room, and light woods warm up the kitchen.—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 12 July 2025 To curate a flourishing cohabitation with intelligent machines we, humans, must be anchored in values that inspire ourselves and others.—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 11 July 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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