Library / English Dictionary

ANCHOR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving

Synonyms:

anchor; ground tackle

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("anchor" is a kind of...):

claw; hook (a mechanical device that is curved or bent to suspend or hold or pull something)

Meronyms (parts of "anchor"):

flue; fluke (flat bladelike projection on the arm of an anchor)

shank; stem (cylinder forming a long narrow part of something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "anchor"):

grapnel; grapnel anchor (a light anchor for small boats)

mooring anchor (an anchor used to hold a mooring buoy or a channel marker in place)

mushroom anchor (an anchor used for semipermanent moorings; has a bowl-shaped head that will dig in however it falls)

sheet anchor; waist anchor (spare anchor for use in emergency)

Holonyms ("anchor" is a part of...):

vessel; watercraft (a craft designed for water transportation)

Derivation:

anchor (secure a vessel with an anchor)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A central cohesive source of support and stability

Example:

he is the linchpin of this firm

Synonyms:

anchor; backbone; keystone; linchpin; lynchpin; mainstay

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("anchor" is a kind of...):

support (something providing immaterial assistance to a person or cause or interest)

Derivation:

anchor (fix firmly and stably)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A television reporter who coordinates a broadcast to which several correspondents contribute

Synonyms:

anchor; anchorman; anchorperson

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("anchor" is a kind of...):

television newscaster; television reporter; TV newsman; TV reporter (someone who reports news stories via television)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Secure a vessel with an anchor

Example:

We anchored at Baltimore

Synonyms:

anchor; cast anchor; drop anchor

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "anchor" is one way to...):

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

anchor (a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving)

anchorage (the act of anchoring)

anchorage (place for vessels to anchor)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Fix firmly and stably

Example:

anchor the lamppost in concrete

Synonyms:

anchor; ground

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "anchor" is one way to...):

fasten; fix; secure (cause to be firmly attached)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

anchor (a central cohesive source of support and stability)

Credits

 Context examples: 

ERCC2/MAT1 anchors CAK complex to the TFIIH complex.

(ERCC2 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

Cell junctions have various functions either communication, anchoring or organization.

(Cell Junction, NCI Thesaurus)

Anchoring the BPRS: An Aid to Improved Reliability.

(Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale A Questionnaire, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

This allele, which encodes A-kinase anchor protein 13, is involved in both the regulation of the localization of protein kinase A and the stimulation of guanidine nucleotide exchange factors.

(AKAP13 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

AKAP95 (A-kinase anchoring protein) is a nuclear matrix associated protein that also binds DNA and different proteins during different phases of the cell cycle.

(AKAP8 in Mitosis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

This allele, which encodes A-kinase anchor protein 12, plays a role in the modulation of the cellular localization of both protein kinase A and protein kinase C.

(AKAP12 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes A-kinase anchor protein 10, mitochondrial protein, is involved in the modulation of protein kinase A localization.

(AKAP10 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

ADAMs (A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase Domain) are membrane-anchored proteases that regulate cell behavior by proteolytically modifying the cell surface and extracellular matrix.

(ADAM Family Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein is comprised of part of the A-kinase anchor protein 9 N-terminus fused to the C-terminal half of the serine/threonine-protein kinase B-raf protein.

(AKAP9/BRAF Fusion Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

Anchoring junctions typically are observed as "spot welds" between cells in many types of epithelia.

(Anchoring Junction, NCI Thesaurus)