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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Anchor \An"chor\ ([a^][ng]"k[~e]r), noun [OE. anker, AS. ancor, oncer, L. ancora, sometimes spelt anchora, fr. Gr. 'a'gkyra, akin to E. angle: cf. F. ancre. See {Angle}, noun]
1. A iron instrument which is attached to a ship by a cable (rope or chain), and which, being cast overboard, lays hold of the earth by a fluke or hook and thus retains the ship in a particular station.
Note: The common anchor consists of a straight bar called a shank, having at one end a transverse bar called a stock, above which is a ring for the cable, and at the other end the crown, from which branch out two or more arms with flukes, forming with the shank a suitable angle to enter the ground.
Note: Formerly the largest and strongest anchor was the sheet anchor (hence, Fig., best hope or last refuge), called also {waist anchor}. Now the bower and the sheet anchor are usually alike. Then came the best bower and the small bower (so called from being carried on the bows). The stream anchor is one fourth the weight of the bower anchor. Kedges or kedge anchors are light anchors used in warping.
2. Any instrument or contrivance serving a purpose like that of a ship's anchor, as an arrangement of timber to hold a dam fast; a contrivance to hold the end of a bridge cable, or other similar part; a contrivance used by founders to hold the core of a mold in place.
3. Fig.: That which gives stability or security; that on which we place dependence for safety.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. --Heb. vi. 19.
4. (Her.) An emblem of hope.
5. (Arch.) (a) A metal tie holding adjoining parts of a building together. (b) Carved work, somewhat resembling an anchor or arrowhead; -- a part of the ornaments of certain moldings. It is seen in the echinus, or egg-and-anchor (called also {egg-and-dart}, {egg-and-tongue}) ornament.
6. (Zo["o]l.) One of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain sponges; also, one of the calcareous spinules of certain Holothurians, as in species of {Synapta}.
6. (Television) an {achorman}, {anchorwoman}, or {anchorperson}.
{Anchor ice}. See under {Ice}.
{Anchor light} See the vocabulary.
{Anchor ring}. (Math.) Same as {Annulus}, 2 (b).
{Anchor shot} See the vocabulary.
{Anchor space} See the vocabulary.
{Anchor stock} (Naut.), the crossbar at the top of the shank at right angles to the arms.
{Anchor watch} See the vocabulary.
{The anchor comes home}, when it drags over the bottom as the ship drifts.
{Foul anchor}, the anchor when it hooks, or is entangled with, another anchor, or with a cable or wreck, or when the slack cable entangled.
{The anchor is acockbill}, when it is suspended perpendicularly from the cathead, ready to be let go.
{The anchor is apeak}, when the cable is drawn in so tight as to bring to ship directly over it.
{The anchor is atrip}, or {aweigh}, when it is lifted out of the ground.
{The anchor is awash}, when it is hove up to the surface of the water.
{At anchor}, anchored.
{To back an anchor}, to increase the holding power by laying down a small anchor ahead of that by which the ship rides, with the cable fastened to the crown of the latter to prevent its coming home.
{To cast anchor}, to drop or let go an anchor to keep a ship at rest.
{To cat the anchor}, to hoist the anchor to the cathead and pass the ring-stopper.
{To fish the anchor}, to hoist the flukes to their resting place (called the bill-boards), and pass the shank painter.
{To weigh anchor}, to heave or raise the anchor so as to sail away.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Anchor \An"chor\, noun [OE. anker, ancre, AS. ancra, fr. L. anachoreta. See {Anchoret}.] An anchoret. [Obs.] --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Anchor \An"chor\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Anchored}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Anchoring}.] [Cf. F. ancrer.]
1. To place at anchor; to secure by an anchor; as, to anchor a ship.
2. To fix or fasten; to fix in a stable condition; as, to anchor the cables of a suspension bridge.
Till that my nails were anchored in thine eyes. --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Anchor \An"chor\, verb (used without an object)
1. To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream.
2. To stop; to fix or rest.
My invention . . . anchors on Isabel. --Shak.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
anchor
noun
1: a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving [syn: {ground tackle}]
2: a central cohesive source of support and stability; "faith is his anchor"; "the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money"; "he is the linchpin of this firm" [syn: {mainstay}, {keystone}, {backbone}, {linchpin}, {lynchpin}]
3: a television reporter who coordinates a broadcast to which several correspondents contribute [syn: {anchorman}, {anchorperson}]
verb
1: fix firmly and stably; "anchor the lamppost in concrete" [syn: {ground}]
2: secure a vessel with an anchor; "We anchored at Baltimore" [syn: {cast anchor}, {drop anchor}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
142 Moby Thesaurus words for "anchor": Baldt anchor, Navy anchor, Northill anchor, affix, anchorage, annex, attach, batten, batten down, belay, berth, billet at, bind, bivouac, bower, bridle, burrow, camp, cast anchor, catch, cement, chain, cinch, clamp, clinch, colonize, come to anchor, cramp, dinghy anchor, disembark, dock, domesticate, drag anchor, drogue, drop anchor, drop the hook, enchain, engraft, ensconce, entrammel, establish residence, fasten, fasten down, fetter, fix, floating anchor, fluke, glue, graft, grapnel, grapple, gyve, hamper, handcuff, hive, hobble, hog-tie, holdfast, hook, hopple, imbed, inhabit, kedge, kedge anchor, kedge off, keep house, knit, lash, lash and tie, lay anchor, leash, live at, locate, mainstay, make fast, make secure, make sure, manacle, moor, mooring, mooring buoy, moorings, move, mudhook, mushroom anchor, nest, park, peg down, people, perch, picket, pin, pin down, pinion, plant, populate, put in irons, put to, relocate, reside, restrain, rivet, roost, rope, screw anchor, screw up, sea anchor, secure, security, set, set to, set up housekeeping, set up shop, settle, settle down, shackle, shank, sheet anchor, sit down, slip, squat, stability, stabilizer, stand, starboard anchor, stay at, stock, straitjacket, strap, strike root, support, take residence at, take root, take up residence, tether, tie, tie down, tie up, tighten, trammel, trice up, trim
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:
anchor (Or "span", "region", "button", "extent") An area within the content of a {hypertext} {node} (e.g. a {web page}) which is the source or destination of a {link}. A source anchor may be a word, phrase, image, or possibly the whole node. A destination anchor may be a whole node or some position within the node. Typically, clicking with the {mouse} on a source anchor causes the link to be followed and the anchor at the opposite end of the link to be displayed. Anchors are highlighted in some way (either always, or when the mouse is over them), or they may be marked by a special symbol. In {HTML} anchors are created with the .. construct. The opening A tag of a source anchor has an HREF (hypertext reference) attribute giving the destination in the form of a {URL} - usually a whole node or "page". E.g. Free On-line Dictionary of Computing Destination anchors are only used in HTML to name a position within a page using a NAME attribute. E.g. The name or "fragment identifier" is appended to the URL of the page with a "#": http://www.fairystory.com/goldilocks.html#chapter3 (Though it is generally better to break pages into smaller units than to have large pages with named sections). (1997-11-15)
From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
Anchor, IL (village, FIPS 1361) Location: 40.56870 N, 88.53873 W Population (1990): 178 (69 housing units) Area: 0.5 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 61720
From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:
Anchor, IL -- U.S. village in Illinois Population (2000): 175 Housing Units (2000): 68 Land area (2000): 0.193467 sq. miles (0.501076 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.193467 sq. miles (0.501076 sq. km) FIPS code: 01361 Located within: Illinois (IL), FIPS 17 Location: 40.567617 N, 88.538784 W ZIP Codes (1990): 61720 Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs. Headwords: Anchor, IL Anchor
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Anchor From Acts 27:29, 30, 40, it would appear that the Roman vessels carried several anchors, which were attached to the stern as well as to the prow. The Roman anchor, like the modern one, had two teeth or flukes. In Heb. 6:19 the word is used metaphorically for that which supports or keeps one steadfast in the time of trial or of doubt. It is an emblem of hope. "If you fear, Put all your trust in God: that anchor holds."
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