Definition of Ancor
An"chor (ă&nsm;"k&etilde;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.
&fist; 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.
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. (Zoöl.) 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.
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.
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.
An"chor, n. [OE. anker, ancre,
AS. ancra, fr. L. anachoreta. See Anchoret.] An
anchoret. [Obs.] Shak.
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
ANCHOR. Bring your a-se to an anchor, i.e. sit down. To let
go an anchor to the windward of the law; to keep within
the letter of the law. SEA WIT.
- The Devil's Dictionary (Ambrose Bierce)
- A fixed point, especially materials or tools used to affix something at that point.
- (internet) An HTML/XHTML mark-up tag to define a position in a file, or a link to a URL.
- (nautical) A tool used to hook into the sea bottom to resist movement.
Formerly a vessel would differentiate amongst the anchors carried as waist anchor, best bower, bower, stream and kedge anchors, depending on purpose and, to a great extent, on mass and size of the anchor. Modern usage is storm anchor for the heaviest anchor with the longest rode, best bower or simply bower for the most commonly used anchor deployed from the bow, and stream or lunch hook for a small, light anchor used for temporary moorage and often deployed from the stern.
- (nautical) Generic term to refer to the combined anchoring gear (anchor, rode, and fittings such as bitts, cat, and windlass.)
- The Nuttall Encyclopedia
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