Translate anchor | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of anchor
noun
1a heavy object attached to a rope or chain and used to moor a vessel to the sea bottom, typically one having a metal shank with a ring at one end for the rope and a pair of curved and/or barbed flukes at the other. a person or thing that provides stability or confidence in an otherwise uncertain situation:the European Community is the economic anchor of the New Europe (in full anchor store) a store, e.g., a department store, that is the principal tenant of a mall or a shopping center.
2chiefly
North American an anchorman or anchorwoman, especially in broadcasting or athletics:he signed off after nineteen years as CBS news anchor
verb
[with object] 1moor (a ship) to the sea bottom with an anchor:the ship was anchored in the lee of the island [no object]:we anchored in the harbor secure firmly in position:with cords and pitons they anchored him to the rock the tail is used as a hook with which the fish anchors itself to coral figurativethe first baseman is anchored to the bag provide with a firm basis or foundation:it is important that policy be anchored to some acceptable theoretical basis
2chiefly
North American act as an anchor for (a television program or sporting event):she anchored a television documentary series in the early 1980s
