Search the Dictionary

To fix or secure, as a vessel, in a particular place by casting anchor, or by fastening with cables or chains; as, the vessel was moored in the stream; they moored the boat to the wharf.

The act of confining a ship to a particular place, by means of anchors or fastenings.

growth and shortness of duration; short-lived; ephemerial; as, mushroom cities. Mushroom anchor, an anchor shaped like a mushroom, capable of grasping the ground in whatever way it falls. -- Mushroom coral (Zoöl.), any coral of the genus Fungia. See Fungia. -- Mushroom spawn (Bot.), the mycelium, or primary filament…

A projection on each side of the shank of an anchor, to secure the stock in place. Check nut, Jam nut, Lock nut, a nut which is screwed up tightly against another nut on the same bolt or screw, in order to prevent accidental unscrewing of the first nut. -- Nut buoy. See under Buoy. -- Nut coal, screened coal of a siz…

To rake over, or sweep across, from end to end, as waves that break over a vessel anchored with head to the sea.

The flat inner face of an anchor fluke.

The extremity of an anchor fluke; the bill. [In the last sense written also pea and pee.] Fore peak. (Naut.) See under Fore.

Bill of an anchor. See Peak, 3 (c).

A man-of-war's boat. Whilst our pinnace anchors in the Downs. Shak.

er the yards a-portoise, to lower them to the gunwale. -- To ride a portoise, to ride an anchor with the lower yards and topmasts struck or lowered, as in a gale of wind.

The application of a lever to move any weighty body, as a cask, anchor, cannon, car, etc. See Prize, n., 5.

A float; a raft. Three vessels under sail, and one at anchor, above Split Rock, and behind it the radeau Thunderer. W. Irving.

ut.), a certain length of slack cable ranged along the deck preparatory to letting go the anchor. -- Range work (Masonry), masonry of squared stones laid in courses each of which is of even height throughout the length of the wall; -- distinguished from broken range work, which consists of squared stones laid in cours…

To be borne or in a fluid; to float; to lie. Men once walked where ships at anchor ride. Dryden.

A place where ships may ride at anchor at some distance from the shore; a roadstead; -- often in the plural; as, Hampton Roads. Shak.

An anchorage off shore. Same as Road, 4. Moored in the neighboring roadstead. Longfellow.

A clumsy vessel that works its way from one anchorage to another by means of the tides. Ham. Nav. Encyc.

The middle part of an anchor, or that part which is between the ring and the arms. See Illustr. of Anchor.

The position of a vessel riding at single anchor and swinging clear of it.

The cable belonging to the sheet anchor.