- sheet anchor
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1. Naut. a large anchor used only in cases of emergency.2. a final reliance or resource, as when in danger.[1485-95]
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Universalium. 2010.
sheet anchor
Look at other dictionaries:
Sheet anchor — Sheet an chor [OE. scheten to shoot, AS. sce[ o]tan; cf. OE. shoot anchor. See {Shoot}, v. t.] 1. (Naut.) A large anchor stowed on shores outside the waist of a vessel; called also {waist anchor}. See the Note under {Anchor}. [1913 Webster] 2.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
sheet anchor — n. [ME shute anker < ? schuten, to SHOOT + anker, ANCHOR: reason for name uncert.] 1. a large anchor used only in emergencies 2. a person or thing to be relied upon in danger … English World dictionary
sheet anchor — noun spare anchor for use in emergency • Syn: ↑waist anchor • Hypernyms: ↑anchor, ↑ground tackle * * * ˈsheet anchor noun a person or thing that you can depend on in a difficult situation … Useful english dictionary
sheet anchor — /ˈʃit æŋkə/ (say sheet angkuh) noun 1. a large anchor used only in cases of emergency. 2. a final reliance or resource. {late Middle English shute anker; origin uncertain} …
sheet anchor — noun Etymology: alteration of earlier shoot anchor, from Middle English shute anker Date: 1626 1. a large strong anchor formerly carried in the waist of a ship and used as a spare in an emergency 2. something that constitutes a main support or… … New Collegiate Dictionary
sheet-anchor — n. 1. (Naut.) Principal anchor, largest anchor. 2. Mainstay, chief support, main reliance … New dictionary of synonyms
sheet anchor — noun a) a large, spare anchor used in an emergency b) a source of help in times of danger … Wiktionary
sheet anchor — large anchor used in emergencies … English contemporary dictionary
sheet anchor — noun 1》 an additional anchor for use in emergencies. 2》 a dependable person or thing relied upon in the last resort. Origin C15: perh. related to obs. shot, denoting two cables spliced together, later influenced by sheet2 … English new terms dictionary
sheet anchor — noun (C) 1 a ship s largest anchor 1 (1), used only in times of danger 2 someone or something that you depend on very much in a difficult or dangerous situation … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
