• (British) IPA: /ˈæŋ.kə/
• (America) enPR: ăngʹkər, IPA: /ˈæŋ.kɚ/

anchor (plural anchors)

1. (nautical) A tool used to moor a vessel to the bottom of a sea or river to resist movement.
2. (nautical) An iron device so shaped as to grip the bottom and hold a vessel at her berth by the chain or rope attached. (FM 55-501).
3. (nautical) The combined anchoring gear (anchor, rode, bill/peak and fittings such as bitts, cat, and windlass.)
4. (heraldiccharge) Representation of the nautical tool, used as a heraldic charge.
5. Any instrument serving a purpose like that of a ship's anchor, such as an arrangement of timber to hold a dam fast; a device to hold the end of a bridge cable etc.; or a device used in metalworking to hold the core of a mould in place.
6. (Internet) A marked point in a document that can be the target of a hyperlink.
7. (television) An anchorman or anchorwoman.
8. (athletics) The final runner in a relay race.
9. (archery) A point that is touched by the draw hand or string when the bow is fully drawn and ready to shoot.
10. (economics) A superstore or other facility that serves as a focus to bring customers into an area.

    Synonyms: anchor tenant

    • 2006, Planning: For the Natural and Built Environment (issues 1650-1666, page 15)

      Supermarkets have also had to adjust. Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda have put a much greater emphasis on developing smaller high street stores or becoming anchors for mixed-used regeneration schemes […]

    • 2007, A. Sivakumar, Retail Marketing (page 102)

      However, mall developers offer huge discounts to department stores because these anchors create traffic […]

11. (figurative) That which gives stability or security.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Hebrew 6:19 ↗:

      which hope we have as an anchor of the soul

12. (architecture) A metal tie holding adjoining parts of a building together.
13. (architecture) Carved work, somewhat resembling an anchor or arrowhead; part of the ornaments of certain mouldings. It is seen in the echinus, or egg-and-anchor (called also egg-and-dart, egg-and-tongue) ornament.
14. One of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain sponges.
15. One of the calcareous spinules of certain holothurians, as in species of Synapta.
16. (cartomancy) The thirty-fifth Lenormand card.
17. (obsolete) An anchorite or anchoress.
    • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals):

      Nor earth to me give food, nor heaven light, / Sport and repose lock from me day and night, / To desperation turn my trust and hope, / An anchor's cheer in prison be my scope.

• French: ancre
• German: Anker
• Italian: ancora, àncora
• Portuguese: âncora
• Russian: я́корь
• Spanish: ancla, áncora

• German: Verankerung, Magnet (figurative)

• Italian: ancora

• German: TV-Moderator, TV-Moderatorin, Moderator, Moderatorin, TV-Chefsprecher, TV-Chefsprecherin, Chefsprecher, Chefsprecherin, Anchorman, Anchorwoman
• Portuguese: âncora
• Russian: веду́щий

anchor (anchors, present participle anchoring; past and past participle anchored)

1. To connect an object, especially a ship or a boat, to a fixed point.
2. To cast anchor; to come to anchor.

   Our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream.

3. To stop; to fix or rest.
   • c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, “Measvre for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene ii]:

     My invention […] anchors on Isabel.

4. To provide emotional stability for a person in distress.
5. To perform as an anchorman or anchorwoman.
6. To be stuck; to be unable to move away from a position.

• (to hold an object to a fixed point) affix, fix
• (to cast anchor) drop anchor
• (to stop) cease, hold; See also Thesaurus:stop
• (to provide emotional stability) support
• (to perform as a TV anchorman) host, present
• (to be stuck) bog down, embog, enmire

• French: ancrer
• German: ankern
• Italian: ancorare
• Portuguese: ancorar
• Spanish: anclar

• Portuguese: apresentar

1. A male given name.