anchor

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a central cohesive source of support and stability

   Faith is the anchor of many religions.

2. 2
   verb

   to secure a vessel with an anchor or weight

   We anchored at Baltimore.

3. 3
   verb

   to fix firmly and stably

   They anchored the lamppost in concrete.

4. 4
   noun

   A tool used to moor a vessel to the bottom of a sea or river to resist movement.

   Men that I knew around Wapatomac didn't wear high, shiny plug hats, nor yeller spring overcoats, nor carry canes with ivory heads as big as a catboat's anchor, as you might say.

5. 5
   noun

   An anchorman or anchorwoman.

   Condoleezza Rice pops up on Fox to be told by the anchor: “When you invade a sovereign nation, that is a war crime.”

6. 6
   noun

   A superstore or other facility that serves as a focus to bring customers into an area.

   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 […]

7. 7
   noun

   That which gives stability or security.

   which hope we have as an anchor of the soul

8. 8
   noun

   The brake of a vehicle.

   I saw Tim look back through the rear window of the cab and prayed he wouldn't do the first thing that came into his mind and step on the anchors.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂enk-der.? Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́γκῡρᾰ (ắnkūră)bor.? Latin ancorabor. Proto-Germanic *ankurô Proto-West Germanic *ankurō Old English ancor Middle English anker English anchor From Middle English anker, from Old English ancor, ancra, from Latin ancora, from (or cognate with) Ancient Greek ἄγκυρα (ánkura). The modern form is a sixteenth-century modification after the Medieval Latin spelling anchora. Doublet of ancora, anker, angora, and Ankara.