| • | 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. | 
											
															| • | 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. | 
											
															| • | Fig.: That which gives stability or security; that on which
   we place dependence for safety. | 
											
															| • | An emblem of hope. | 
											
															| • | A metal tie holding adjoining parts of a building together. | 
											
															| • | 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. | 
											
															| • | One of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain sponges; also,
   one of the calcareous spinules of certain Holothurians, as in species
   of Synapta. | 
											
															| • | To place at anchor; to secure by an anchor; as, to
   anchor a ship. | 
											
															| • | To fix or fasten; to fix in a stable condition; as, to
   anchor the cables of a suspension bridge. | 
											
															| • | To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the
   captain) anchored in the stream. | 
											
															| • | To stop; to fix or rest. | 
											
															| • | An anchoret. |