grapnel anchor
- noun
- /ˈɡræp.nəl ˈæŋ.kər/
- Specialized
:
ancla grapnel
- The grapnel anchor held the small boat steady.
Examples
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A grapnel anchor is ideal for rocky or weedy bottoms where its prongs can catch easily.
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The fisherman lowered the grapnel anchor to keep his boat steady in the shallow bay.
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Before swimming to shore, we made sure the grapnel anchor was secure so the dinghy wouldn't drift away.
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I bought a new grapnel anchor for my kayak.
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The sailors threw the grapnel anchor overboard to secure the small boat near the dock.
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Using a grapnel anchor, they managed to hold the dinghy steady against the strong current.
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To prevent drifting, the crew deployed a grapnel anchor with multiple prongs to firmly grip the seabed.
Synonyms
1
9.5
A small hook with several points on a rope used to hold or pull things
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound meaning is directly compositional: combining 'grapnel' (a multi‑pronged hook) with 'anchor' yields a type of anchor that uses grapnel-style prongs. This is a straightforward noun‑noun compound pattern found cross‑linguistically, so a learner who knows both constituents would be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Grapnel anchor gets its name from its shape and action: it is a small anchor with several hooked arms, like a tiny grappling hook that 'grabs' rocks or weed on the sea bottom. That's why a grapnel anchor is used to catch the bottom and hold small boats in place.