weigh anchor

English

Verb

weigh anchor (third-person singular simple present weighs anchor, present participle weighing anchor, simple past and past participle weighed anchor)

1. (nautical) To raise the anchor of a ship or boat prior to getting under way.
   • 1986, Ben Elton et al., Blackadder II, 3: "Potato"

     - Aah-ahhh! You have a woman’s hand, milord! I’ll wager these dainty pinkies never weighed anchor in a storm.

     - Well, you’re right there.

   Antonym: drop anchor

Usage notes

Sometimes used incorrectly to mean drop anchor.

Related terms

• anchor's aweigh

Translations

raise the anchor

• Esperanto: malankri, levi la ankron
• Faroese: lætta akker
• Finnish: nostaa ankkuri
• French: lever l’ancre (fr)
• German: den Anker lichten
• Hebrew: הֶעֱלָה עֹגֶן (he) m (he'ela ogen), הֵרִים עֹגֶן (he) m (herim ogen)
• Ido: desankragar (io)
• Italian: levare l'ancora
• Japanese: 抜錨 (ばつびょう, batsubyou)
• Spanish: levar anclas, levar (es)
• Swedish: lätta ankar (sv)
• Turkish: demir almak (tr)