From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishanchoran‧chor1 /ˈæŋkə $ -ər/ noun [countable] 1 
TTWa piece of heavy metal that is lowered to the bottom of the sea, a lake etc to prevent a ship or boat movingat anchor The ship was at anchor. We dropped anchor a few yards offshore. The next morning, they weighed anchor (=lifted the anchor) and began to move south again.2 especially American EnglishAMT someone who reads the news on TV and introduces news reports SYN newsreader British English Dan Rather, anchor of the CBC Evening News3 HELPsomeone or something that provides a feeling of support and safety Dad was the anchor of the family.
TTWa piece of heavy metal that is lowered to the bottom of the sea, a lake etc to prevent a ship or boat movingat anchor The ship was at anchor. We dropped anchor a few yards offshore. The next morning, they weighed anchor (=lifted the anchor) and began to move south again.2 especially American EnglishAMT someone who reads the news on TV and introduces news reports SYN newsreader British English Dan Rather, anchor of the CBC Evening News3 HELPsomeone or something that provides a feeling of support and safety Dad was the anchor of the family.Examples from the Corpus
anchor• He was martyred when thrown into the Black Sea with an anchor tied to him.• We dropped anchor a few yards offshore.• Neither parliament nor the law was open, though these provided both soaring fame and a practical anchor for similarly gifted men.• His one serious anchor was the friendship with Madame Phan.• These ancient trees are a spiritual anchor that our culture needs to hold on to.• The weather segments also give the anchors a chance to banter with the weather people and lighten the proceedings.• Finally on the fourth day one of the anchor ropes sheered through and we lost that anchor to the gale.• As she waited, she began to study the anchor cables around her.• He was the anchor for the BBC's nine o'clock news for over 10 years.• The anchors are usually linked by sundry cords and tapes of varying age and wear.weighed anchor• We weighed anchor next morning and sailed down the fiord on a calm sea.anchoranchor2 verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]TTW to lower the anchor on a ship or boat to hold it in one place SYN moor Three tankers were anchored in the harbor.2 FASTEN/DO UP[transitive] to fasten something firmly so that it cannot move The shelves should be securely anchored to the wall.Grammar Anchor is usually passive in this meaning.3 → be anchored in something4 SUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN[transitive] to provide a feeling of support, safety, or help for someone or an organization Steve anchors the team’s defense. Her life was anchored by her religion.5 AMT[transitive] American English to be the person who reads the news and introduces reports on television SYN present Collins anchors the 6 o'clock news.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
anchor• The importance of self-esteem To be assertive you need to have your self-esteem well anchored.• If words had weight, a single sentence from Death would have anchored a ship.• We anchored about fifty yards away.• The new hour-long program is anchored by Mark McEwen.• The new company will be anchored by the Hobart food-equipment group.• The panel was firmly anchored by two large bolts.• Captain Cook anchored in Opunohu Bay in the 1760s.• Designers are considering enlarging and strengthening the concrete foundations, and anchoring them into Bay soils with steel pilings.• I use long lengths of floating row cover, anchored with bricks and stones, on annual and perennial beds.Origin anchor1 (800-900) Latin anchora, from Greek ankyra 