anchor
anchor — noun
- anchorsingular
- anchorsplural
1. a heavy metal piece lowered on a rope, chain, or cable to stop a boat from drift
a heavy metal piece lowered on a rope, chain, or cable to stop a boat from drifting away.
At sunset, the captain dropped the anchor near Green Island before dinner.
collocation: drop the anchor
A broken anchor left the fishing boat drifting all night in rough water.
Divers checked whether the anchor was caught between two large rocks.
passive: the anchor was caught
The chain snapped, and the anchor slid slowly across the sandy bottom.
- drop anchor
- raise the anchor
- anchor chain
- anchor rope
Grammar Patterns
drop an anchor
raise the anchor
Usage Note
Usually countable. Common verbs are 'drop', 'lower', 'raise', and 'weigh'. Distinguish from verb 1, which describes the action of using this device.
Common Mistakes
2. someone, or even a place or routine, that helps keep your life steady when thing
someone, or even a place or routine, that helps keep your life steady when things feel uncertain.
After his father died, Uncle Wei became the family's emotional anchor.
figurative use: emotional anchor
Her daily walk by the river is an anchor during stressful weeks.
The village school remains an anchor for families after every summer flood.
pattern: an anchor for + people
A short call with Grandma Lin was an anchor for Naomi on moving day.
- emotional anchor
- an anchor for the family
- serve as an anchor
- find an anchor
- support
the broad everyday word; less strongly linked to steadiness
- mainstay
more formal; stresses being the most important source of help
- foundation
often describes the base something is built on, especially plans or systems
- lifeline
stresses rescue in a difficult situation rather than calm stability
- burden
someone or something that adds pressure instead of easing it
Grammar Patterns
be an anchor for + person
serve as an anchor during + event
Usage Note
Common in patterns such as 'be an anchor for' and 'serve as an anchor during'. It suggests lasting steadiness, not one small act of help.
Common Mistakes
3. the chief presenter of a news or talk broadcast, who leads the programme and bri
the chief presenter of a news or talk broadcast, who leads the programme and brings in other speakers and reports.
Millions watched Mei Chen, the evening anchor, open the election broadcast.
collocation: evening anchor
The anchor cut to a reporter outside the burning train station.
broadcast phrase: cut to a reporter
During the storm update, the anchor repeated safety numbers every ten minutes.
Our local anchor speaks Hokkien and Mandarin during holiday specials.
- evening anchor
- lead anchor
- news anchor
- anchor desk
- presenter
broad term for someone who leads a programme
- host
common for talk or entertainment programmes, not only news
- newscaster
focuses more on reading or delivering the news
Grammar Patterns
the evening anchor
anchor of a news show
Usage Note
Most often used for the central presenter on news or current-affairs broadcasts. Distinguish from 'reporter', who usually gathers one story in the field.
Common Mistakes
4. the runner or swimmer chosen to take the last turn for a relay team.
the runner or swimmer chosen to take the last turn for a relay team.
Coach Rivera chose Aya as anchor because she finishes strongly under pressure.
pattern: choose someone as anchor
The team moved Ben to anchor for the final relay at nationals.
pattern: move someone to anchor
As anchor, Priya took the baton two meters behind the leaders.
Our swim coach saved the fastest girl for anchor in the medley.
- anchor leg
- as anchor
- put someone at anchor
- save someone for anchor
- finisher
general sports word for the person who finishes, not only in relays
- last runner
plain description for track relays
- last swimmer
plain description for swimming relays
- lead-off runner
the teammate who starts the relay instead of ending it
Grammar Patterns
run anchor
move someone to anchor
Usage Note
Usually singular in team talk: 'be anchor' or 'run anchor'. The anchor is always the final runner or swimmer in the relay order.
Common Mistakes
anchor — verb
- anchorpresent simple I / you / we / they
- anchors3rd person singular
- anchoring-ing form
- anchoredpast simple
1. to put down an anchor, or to hold a boat in one spot by using one.
to put down an anchor, or to hold a boat in one spot by using one.
The sailors anchored the boat beside Orchid Island before the rain arrived.
transitive: anchor the boat
By midnight, three yachts had anchored safely in the small bay.
intransitive: anchor in + place
Please anchor near the red buoy and wait for the fuel truck.
Strong wind kept the captain from anchoring close to the old pier.
- anchor the boat
- anchor offshore
- anchor in a bay
- anchor near the pier
- weigh anchor
opposite action: lift the anchor before leaving
- set sail
leave a place by boat instead of staying there
Grammar Patterns
anchor a boat
anchor in/near + place
Usage Note
Can be intransitive ('We anchored offshore') or transitive ('They anchored the boat near the pier'). Common with place phrases such as 'in the bay' and 'near the island'.
Common Mistakes
2. to attach someone or something so firmly that it cannot easily shift or pull fre
to attach someone or something so firmly that it cannot easily shift or pull free.
Workers anchored the new bridge cables deep inside the concrete wall.
anchor something deep inside + structure
Saoirse anchored the tent with heavy stones before the mountain storm.
anchor something with + object
A steel bar anchored the bookshelf after the last earthquake.
The rope was anchored to a pine tree above the river.
passive: be anchored to + noun
- anchor a tent
- anchor cables
- anchor to a wall
- firmly anchored
Grammar Patterns
anchor something to + noun
be anchored to + noun
Usage Note
Often passive when describing something already fixed. Objects are usually physical things such as ropes, cables, tents, poles, or shelves, rather than light paper items.
Common Mistakes
3. to lead a radio or television programme as its main presenter.
to lead a radio or television programme as its main presenter.
Nadia will anchor tonight's debate after the sports segment ends.
anchor + programme
For ten years, Ken Huang anchored the station's morning news.
anchor the news
A veteran journalist anchored the emergency broadcast from Taipei City Hall.
Who is anchoring the late show while Ms. Wu is in Seoul?
progressive form: is anchoring
- anchor the news
- anchor a debate
- anchor a programme
- anchor a broadcast
Grammar Patterns
anchor a programme
anchor the news
Usage Note
Usually takes a programme, debate, news show, or broadcast as its object. Distinguish from noun 3: the noun names the presenter, while this verb describes the job.
Common Mistakes
4. to compete in the last position for a relay team.
to compete in the last position for a relay team.
Jamal anchored the relay and passed two runners on the final straight.
anchor the relay
Our fastest swimmer anchored the medley at the city championships.
anchor the medley
Because of her calm finish, Coach Ito asked Sora to anchor.
ask someone to anchor
Ethan anchored for Taiwan in the boys relay final at nationals.
anchor for + team
- anchor the relay
- anchor the medley
- anchor for Taiwan
- ask someone to anchor
- run last
plain description without the sports term
- take the anchor leg
more explicit relay wording
- lead off
start the relay rather than finish it
Grammar Patterns
anchor the relay
anchor for + team
Usage Note
Used in sports, especially relay races and medleys. You can anchor the relay itself, or anchor for a team or country.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
In sense 2, an anchor is a source of steadiness when life feels shaky. Support is the broad everyday word and can mean almost any kind of help. Mainstay is stronger and more formal, suggesting the person or thing you rely on most. Foundation often describes the base of a system, plan, or belief, so it sounds less personal than anchor. Lifeline suggests rescue in danger, especially when someone is close to failure. Anchor is especially useful when you want the image of being held steady, not simply helped. You might say, 'Her grandmother was her anchor during the divorce,' but 'The grant was a lifeline for the small school.'
Etymology
English anchor goes back to Greek ankura and Latin ancora, both meaning the tool that keeps a ship from drifting. Old English later took in a related form through Latin and French influence. From the physical idea of holding something steady, English developed wider uses for a dependable person, a main presenter who holds a programme together, and the last athlete trusted to steady a relay finish.