anchor

The word “anchor” means a heavy metal device lowered from a boat to grip the seabed and keep the vessel in place. In plain terms, something heavy or fixed that holds another thing steady — literally a ship's anchor, or figuratively a source of stability.

“Anchor” is pronounced ANG-kuh (/ˈæŋ.kəː/ in IPA).

Here is “anchor” used in a sentence: “They dropped anchor in a quiet cove for the night.”

Words with a similar meaning to “anchor” include hold.

Depending on how it is used, “anchor” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “anchor” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old English ancor, borrowed from Latin ancora, itself from Ancient Greek ankura.

“Anchor” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Anchor” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a heavy metal device lowered from a boat to grip the seabed and keep the vessel in place.

A news anchor is the central presenter who holds a television or radio broadcast together while reports come in from correspondents. The usage fits the word's broader sense of something that provides steadiness, support, and a fixed point of reference.

They are opposites. To drop anchor is to lower the anchor so it grips the seabed and holds the vessel in place, while to weigh anchor is to raise it in preparation for sailing away; "weigh" here is an old use of the verb meaning to lift.

Yes. To anchor is to fix something firmly in place or to hold a ship steady with an anchor, as in "the shelves are anchored to the wall." Figurative uses are common too: a veteran player anchors a team, and a presenter anchors a broadcast.