anchor

noun

/ˈæŋkə(r)/

/ˈæŋkər/

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a heavy metal object that is attached to a rope or chain and dropped over the side of a ship or boat to keep it in one place
- to drop anchor
- We raised the anchor and set sail.
- We weighed anchor (= pulled it out of the water).
- at anchor The ship lay at anchor two miles off the rocky coast.
Topics Transport by waterc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verb + anchor
- cast
- drop
- lower
- …
preposition
- at anchor
See full entry
a person or thing that gives somebody a feeling of safety
- the anchor of the family
a person who presents a live radio or television programme and introduces reports by other people; an anchorman or anchorwoman
- ABC news anchor Peter Jennings
Topics TV, radio and newsc1

Word OriginOld English ancor, ancra, via Latin from Greek ankura; reinforced in Middle English by Old French ancre. The current form is from anchora, an erroneous Latin spelling. The verb (from Old French ancrer) dates from Middle English.

anchor

verb

/ˈæŋkə(r)/

/ˈæŋkər/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they anchor	/ˈæŋkə(r)/ /ˈæŋkər/
he / she / it anchors	/ˈæŋkəz/ /ˈæŋkərz/
past simple anchored	/ˈæŋkəd/ /ˈæŋkərd/
past participle anchored	/ˈæŋkəd/ /ˈæŋkərd/
-ing form anchoring	/ˈæŋkərɪŋ/ /ˈæŋkərɪŋ/

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[intransitive, transitive] anchor (something) to let an anchor down from a boat or ship in order to prevent it from moving away
- We anchored off the coast of Spain.
Topics Transport by waterc1
[transitive, often passive] to fix something in position so that it cannot move
- be anchored Make sure the table is securely anchored.
- The crane is securely anchored at two points.
- be anchored to something The ropes were anchored to the rocks.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- firmly
- securely
- well
- …
preposition
- to
See full entry
[transitive, usually passive] to base something on something else
- be anchored (in/to something) Her novels are anchored in everyday experience.
[intransitive, transitive] anchor (something) (especially North American English) to be the person who introduces reports or reads the news on television or radio
- She anchored the evening news for seven years.
Topics TV, radio and newsc2