anchor
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a heavy metal object dropped from a boat into the water to keep it from moving.
n.a heavy iron or steel device designed to grip the seabed and hold a vessel in place via a chain or cable.
Simple“The captain ordered the crew to drop the anchor as they entered the bay.”
In context“The vessel struggled to maintain its position until the anchor finally caught on the rocky seabed, providing relief to the exhausted crew.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person or thing that gives you a feeling of safety and stability.
n.a person, principle, or entity that provides emotional or situational stability and security.
Simple“Her family was her anchor during the difficult years of her medical studies.”
In context“In times of economic volatility, gold often serves as an anchor for investors seeking to preserve their capital against inflation.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the main person who reads the news on a television or radio programme.
n.the primary broadcaster in a news programme who coordinates reports and provides transitions between segments.
Simple“The news anchor introduced the reporter who was standing outside the parliament building.”
In context“The network's veteran anchor delivered the breaking news with a calm authority that reassured the viewing public during the crisis.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.a very large shop in a shopping centre that attracts many customers.
n.a major retail store, typically a department store, that serves as the primary draw for a shopping mall.
Simple“The mall struggled to find a new tenant after the big anchor store closed down.”
In context“Developers often offer lower rent to anchor tenants because their presence is essential for attracting smaller boutique retailers to the complex.”
Synonymsanchor store - 05 C1 Advanced
n.a specific place in a document or website that a link points to.
n.a specific location within a digital document or webpage that serves as the target for a hyperlink.
Simple“Clicking the link will take you directly to the anchor at the bottom of the page.”
In context“The developer inserted an anchor tag to allow users to jump directly to the relevant section of the technical documentation.”
- 06 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang word for the brakes on a car or bike.
n.a slang term referring to the braking system of a vehicle.
Simple“He had to slam on the anchors when the cat ran into the road.”
In context“The driver hit the anchors hard as the traffic light suddenly turned red, narrowly avoiding a collision with the car in front.”
Synonyms - 07 B1 Intermediate
v.to stop a boat from moving by using an anchor.
v.to secure a vessel to the seabed using an anchor or similar mooring device.
Simple“We decided to anchor the boat near the island for the night.”
In context“The yacht was anchored securely in the sheltered cove, protected from the rising winds of the approaching storm.”
- 08 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fix something very firmly in one place so it cannot move.
v.to fasten or fix an object securely to a base or foundation.
Simple“The heavy shelves were anchored to the wall for safety.”
In context“The suspension bridge cables are anchored deep into the bedrock to withstand extreme tension and weather conditions.”
- 09 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to provide a strong base or support for a person or a system.
v.to provide a firm basis or emotional stability for a person, group, or argument.
Simple“Her calm voice helped to anchor him during the panic attack.”
In context“The professor's theory is anchored in decades of empirical research and field observations across three continents.”
“News anchor Zuhal was pushed out of her job after a series of Taliban orders.”
“The material was made from byssus threads produced by Pinna nobilis , a large Mediterranean clam that uses these fibers to anchor itself to rocky surfaces.”
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂enk-der.? Ancient Greek ᾰ̓́γκῡρᾰ (ắnkūră)bor.? Latin ancorabor. Proto-Germanic *ankurô Proto-West Germanic *ankurō Old English ancor Middle English anker English anchor From Middle English anker, from Old English ancor, ancra, from Latin ancora, from (or cognate with) Ancient Greek ἄγκυρα (ánkura). The modern form is a sixteenth-century modification after the Medieval Latin spelling anchora. Doublet of ancora, anker, angora, and Ankara.
From Middle English anchoren, ankeren, either from the noun or perhaps (via Old French ancrer) from a Medieval Latin verb ancorare, from the same Latin word ancora.
Inherited from Middle English ankre, ancre, from Old English ancer, ancra, from Latin anachōrēta, anachōrīta, either with significant shortening of the word within Old English or via an unattested Old Irish form.
Alternative form.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.