sheet anchor
- noun
- /ʃiːt ˈæŋkər/
- Jargon
:
ancla de reserva
- The crew deployed the sheet anchor after the main anchor was lost in the storm.
Examples
-
Every well-equipped ship carries a sheet anchor for emergencies at sea.
-
In the old days, a sheet anchor was a vital safeguard for long ocean voyages.
-
The sheet anchor is essential.
-
Check the sheet anchor!
-
Every well-equipped ship carries a sheet anchor for emergencies at sea.
-
In the old days, a sheet anchor was a vital safeguard for long ocean voyages.
-
The crew deployed the sheet anchor after the main anchor was lost in the storm.
Synonyms
95
2.7
A heavy metal object attached to a rope or chain that holds a ship in place
A spare heavy object used to hold a ship during an emergency
Surface Forms
Morphology
While 'anchor' is literal, the modifier 'sheet' (in its nautical sense a rope controlling a sail) does not transparently convey the idea of a spare or emergency anchor; the compound is a specialized nautical term. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words is unlikely to predict the specific function ('spare anchor kept for emergencies') without prior exposure, so the relation is partially clear but not fully predictable.
Etymology
Sheet anchor comes from old sailors who kept a very large spare anchor as their last, strongest way to hold the ship during a storm. That's why a sheet anchor is the spare anchor kept on a ship for 'emergencies'.