: 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
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The pair appear as news anchors, discussing the mayor's press conference and the laundry list of issues facing the city.—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 7 June 2024 The news anchor, 54, pulled out another head-turning look to celebrate her son’s Nikko Gonzalez’s college graduation.—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024
Verb
The property, just west of Westview Parkway, is anchored by Home Depot, Smart & Final and CVS.—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2024 Alabama will anchor their June Jam concert festival for the 18th time this weekend in the band's native Fort Payne, Alabama.—Cindy Watts, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for anchor
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anchor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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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