A News Anchor Is Named After Ship's Tackle
An anchor holds a vessel in place. American television borrowed the word, and now half the world uses it for a presenter.
An anchor is the heavy device that holds a vessel in place. The broadcasting sense came from relay racing by way of American television: the anchor leg is the last and steadiest runner, and in 1952 the term was applied to the presenter holding a news programme together. Britain still often says *presenter* or *newsreader*.
- A ship's holding device. *Drop anchor.*
- To fix firmly. *Anchor the post.*
- A news presenter. *The evening anchor.*
- A steadying influence. *She was his anchor.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | anchor | A rusted anchor. |
| Verb | anchor | Anchor the boat. |
| Past | anchored | Anchored offshore. |
| Noun | anchorage | A sheltered anchorage. |
| Compound | anchorman | The anchorman resigned. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The ship anchored in the bay.Verb.
- She anchors the six o'clock news.American broadcasting.
- The shelf is anchored to the wall.Fixed firmly.
Anchor expressions
- Weigh anchor — raise it and set sail
- Drop anchor — lower it and stop
- At anchor — held in place, not moored to land
- Anchor leg — the final stretch of a relay
- Anchor tenant — the large shop that draws people to a mall
From Old English *ancor*, from Latin *ancora*, from Greek *ankyra*, a hook — related to *angle* and *ankle*, all from a root meaning bend.
Why *weigh* anchor?
Weigh here is an old sense of the verb meaning to lift or bear, unrelated to measuring weight.
Anchor or presenter?
Anchor is standard American usage. British broadcasters more often say presenter or newsreader.