Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

an·chor       (āng'kər)  Pronunciation Key  (click for larger image in new window) n.   Nautical A heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom. A rigid point of support, as for securing a rope. A source of security or stability. Sports An athlete, usually the strongest member of a team, who performs the last stage of a relay race or other competition. The person at the end of a tug-of-war team. An anchorperson. v.   an·chored, an·chor·ing, an·chors v.   tr. To hold fast by or as if by an anchor. See Synonyms at fasten. Sports To serve as an anchor for (a team or competition). To narrate or coordinate (a newscast). To provide or form an anchor store for: Two major stores anchor each end of the shopping mall. v.   intr. Nautical To drop anchor or lie at anchor. [Middle English anker, ancher, from Old English ancor, from Latin ancora, anchora, from Greek ankura.]

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
anchor 

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

anchor
noun
1.	a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving
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"
3.	a television reporter who coordinates a broadcast to which several correspondents contribute
verb
1.	fix firmly and stably; "anchor the lamppost in concrete"
2.	secure a vessel with an anchor; "We anchored at Baltimore"

Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This

anchor hypertext
(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://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)

U.S. Gazetteer - Cite This Source - Share This

Anchor Point, AK (CDP, FIPS 3110) Location: 59.77067 N, 151.81306 W
Population (1990): 866 (405 housing units)
Area: 53.1 sq km (land), 10.9 sq km (water)

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

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Anchor

An"chor\ ([a^][ng]"k[~e]r), n. [OE. anker, AS. ancor, oncer, L. ancora, sometimes spelt anchora, fr. Gr. 'a`gkyra, akin to E. angle: cf. F. ancre. See Angle, n.]

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.

Anchor ice. See under Ice.

Anchor ring. (Math.) Same as Annulus, 2 (b).

Anchor stock (Naut.), the crossbar at the top of the shank at right angles to the arms.

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 do 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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Anchor

An"chor\, v. t. [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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Anchor

An"chor\, v. i. 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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Anchor

An"chor\, n. [OE. anker, ancre, AS. ancra, fr. L. anachoreta. See Anchoret.] An anchoret. [Obs.] --Shak.

Acronym Finder - Cite This Source - Share This

ANCHOR

ANCHOR: in Acronym Finder