The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Anchor \An"chor\ ([a^][ng]"k[~e]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.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: 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.
         [1913 Webster]

   Note: 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.
         [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Fig.: That which gives stability or security; that on
      which we place dependence for safety.
      [1913 Webster]

            Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul. --Heb.
                                                  vi. 19.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. (Her.) An emblem of hope.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
          [1913 Webster]

   6. (Zool.) One of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain
      sponges; also, one of the calcareous spinules of certain
      Holothurians, as in species of Synapta.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. (Television) an achorman, anchorwoman, or
      anchorperson.
      [1913 Webster]

   Anchor ice. See under Ice.

   Anchor light See the vocabulary.

   Anchor ring. (Math.) Same as Annulus, 2 (b).

   Anchor shot See the vocabulary.

   Anchor space See the vocabulary.

   Anchor stock (Naut.), the crossbar at the top of the shank
      at right angles to the arms.

   Anchor watch See the vocabulary.

   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 is 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 so tight as
      to bring the 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.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Anchor \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.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To fix or fasten; to fix in a stable condition; as, to
      anchor the cables of a suspension bridge.
      [1913 Webster]

            Till that my nails were anchored in thine eyes.
                                                  --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Anchor \An"chor\, v. i.
   1. To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the
      captain) anchored in the stream.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To stop; to fix or rest.
      [1913 Webster]

            My invention . . . anchors on Isabel. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Anchor \An"chor\, n. [OE. anker, ancre, AS. ancra, fr. L.
   anachoreta. See Anchoret.]
   An anchoret. [Obs.] --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

anchor
    n 1: a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving
         [syn: anchor, ground tackle]
    2: a central cohesive source of support and stability; "faith is
       his anchor"; "the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on
       soft money"; "he is the linchpin of this firm" [syn:
       anchor, mainstay, keystone, backbone, linchpin,
       lynchpin]
    3: a television reporter who coordinates a broadcast to which
       several correspondents contribute [syn: anchor,
       anchorman, anchorperson]
    v 1: fix firmly and stably; "anchor the lamppost in concrete"
         [syn: anchor, ground]
    2: secure a vessel with an anchor; "We anchored at Baltimore"
       [syn: anchor, cast anchor, drop anchor]

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):

hypertext link
anchor
hyperlink

    (Or "hyperlink", "button", formerly "span",
   "region", "extent") A pointer from within the content of one
   hypertext node (e.g. a web page) to another node.  In
   HTML (the language used to write web pages), the source and
   destination of a link are known as "anchors".  A source
   anchor may be a word, phrase, image or the whole node.  A
   destination anchor may be a whole node or some position within
   the node.

   A hypertext browser displays source anchors in some
   distinctive way.  When the user activates the link (e.g. by
   clicking on it with the mouse), the browser displays the
   destination anchor to which the link refers.  Anchors should
   be recognisable at all times, not, for example, only when the
   mouse is over them.  Originally links were always underlined
   but the modern preference is to use bold text.

   In HTML, anchors are created with .. anchor
   elements.  The opening "a" tag of a source anchor has an
   "href" (hypertext reference) attribute giving the
   destination in the form of a URL - usually a whole "page".
   E.g.

    
    Free On-line Dictionary of Computing

   Destination anchors can be used in HTML to name a position
   within a page using a "name" attribute.  E.g.

    

   The name or "fragment identifier" is appended to the URL of
   the page after a "#":

    http://fairystory.com/goldilocks.html#chapter3

   (2008-12-10)