An·chor 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 3. Fig.: That which gives stability or security; that on which we place dependence for safety.
    Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul.   --Heb. vi. 19.
 4. Her. An emblem of hope.
 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.
 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.
 6. Television an achorman, anchorwoman, or anchorperson.
 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.
 Cast v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cast; p. pr. & vb. n. Casting.]
 1. To send or drive by force; to throw; to fling; to hurl; to impel.
    Uzziah prepared . . . slings to cast stones.   --2 Chron. xxvi. 14.
    Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.   --Acts. xii. 8.
    We must be cast upon a certain island.   --Acts. xxvii. 26.
 2. To direct or turn, as the eyes.
    How earnestly he cast his eyes upon me!   --Shak.
 3. To drop; to deposit; as, to cast a ballot.
 4. To throw down, as in wrestling.
 5. To throw up, as a mound, or rampart.
    Thine enemies shall cast a trench [bank] about thee.   --Luke xix. 48.
 6. To throw off; to eject; to shed; to lose.
    His filth within being cast.   --Shak.
    Neither shall your vine cast her fruit.   --Mal. iii. 11
    The creatures that cast the skin are the snake, the viper, etc.   --Bacon.
 7. To bring forth prematurely; to slink.
    Thy she-goats have not cast their young.   --Gen. xxi. 38.
 8. To throw out or emit; to exhale. [Obs.]
    This . . . casts a sulphureous smell.   --Woodward.
 9. To cause to fall; to shed; to reflect; to throw; as, to cast a ray upon a screen; to cast light upon a subject.
 10. To impose; to bestow; to rest.
    The government I cast upon my brother.   --Shak.
    Cast thy burden upon the Lord.   --Ps. iv. 22.
 11. To dismiss; to discard; to cashier. [Obs.]
    The state can not with safety cast him.
 12. To compute; to reckon; to calculate; as, to cast a horoscope. “Let it be cast and paid.”
    You cast the event of war, my noble lord.   --Shak.
 13. To contrive; to plan. [Archaic]
    The cloister . . . had, I doubt not, been cast for [an orange-house].   --Sir W. Temple.
 14. To defeat in a lawsuit; to decide against; to convict; as, to be cast in damages.
    She was cast to be hanged.   --Jeffrey.
    Were the case referred to any competent judge, they would inevitably be cast.   --Dr. H. More.
 15. To turn (the balance or scale); to overbalance; hence, to make preponderate; to decide; as, a casting voice.
    How much interest casts the balance in cases dubious!   --South.
 16. To form into a particular shape, by pouring liquid metal or other material into a mold; to fashion; to found; as, to cast bells, stoves, bullets.
 17. Print. To stereotype or electrotype.
 18. To fix, distribute, or allot, as the parts of a play among actors; also to assign (an actor) for a part.
    Our parts in the other world will be new cast.   --Addison.
 To cast anchor Naut. See under Anchor.
 To cast a horoscope, to calculate it.
 To cast a horse, sheep, or other animal, to throw with the feet upwards, in such a manner as to prevent its rising again.
 To cast a shoe, to throw off or lose a shoe, said of a horse or ox.
 To cast aside, to throw or push aside; to neglect; to reject as useless or inconvenient.
 To cast away. (a) To throw away; to lavish; to waste. “Cast away a life” --Addison. (b) To reject; to let perish.  “Cast away his people.” --Rom. xi. 1. “Cast one away.” --Shak. (c) To wreck. “Cast away and sunk.” --Shak.
 To cast by, to reject; to dismiss or discard; to throw away.
 To cast down, to throw down; to destroy; to deject or depress, as the mind.  “Why art thou cast down. O my soul?” --Ps. xiii. 5.
 To cast forth, to throw out, or eject, as from an inclosed place; to emit; to send out.
 To cast in one's lot with, to share the fortunes of.
 To cast in one's teeth, to upbraid or abuse one for; to twin.
 To cast lots. See under Lot.
 To cast off. (a) To discard or reject; to drive away; to put off; to free one's self from. (b) Hunting To leave behind, as dogs; also, to set loose, or free, as dogs. --Crabb. (c) Naut. To untie, throw off, or let go, as a rope.
 To cast off copy, Print., to estimate how much printed matter a given amount of copy will make, or how large the page must be in order that the copy may make a given number of pages.
 To cast one's self on or To cast one's self upon to yield or submit one's self unreservedly to, as to the mercy of another.
 To cast out, to throw out; to eject, as from a house; to cast forth; to expel; to utter.
 To cast the lead Naut., to sound by dropping the lead to the bottom.
 To cast the water Med., to examine the urine for signs of disease. [Obs.].
 To cast up. (a) To throw up; to raise. (b) To compute; to reckon, as the cost. (c) To vomit. (d) To twit with; to throw in one's teeth.