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. (Zoöl.) One of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain sponges; also, one of the calcareous spinules of certain Holothurians, as in species of Synapta.
Anchor ice. See under Ice. -- Anchor ring. (Math.) Same as Annulus, 2 (b). -- Anchor stock (Naut.), the crossbar at the top of the shank at right angles to the arms. -- 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 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 do tight as to bring to 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.
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.
2. To fix or fasten; to fix in a stable condition; as, to anchor the cables of a suspension bridge.
Till that my nails were anchored in thine eyes.
Shak.
An"chor, v. i. 1. To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream.