weigh anchor

verb

To raise the anchor of a ship or boat prior to getting under way.

Similar
weigh the anchor
Opposite
drop anchor
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Meanings

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

present singular third person weighs anchor · participle present weighing anchor · participle past weighed anchor · past weighed anchor

  1. nauticalTo 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.

    Antonyms: drop anchor

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo raise the anchor of a ship or boat prior to getting under way.

Opposite
drop anchor

More synonyms by meaning

verbheave up an anchor in preparation for sailing

Similar
weigh the anchor
Broader
heaveheave upheft

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Esperanto malankri, levi la ankron
  • malankriraise the anchor
  • levi la ankronraise the anchor
Finnish nostaa ankkuri
  • nostaa ankkuriraise the anchor
French lever l'ancre
  • lever l'ancreraise the anchor
German den Anker lichten
  • den Anker lichtenraise the anchor
Greek σηκώνω άγκυρα
  • σηκώνω άγκυρα (sikóno ágkyra)raise the anchor
Hebrew הֶעֱלָה עֹגֶן, הֵרִים עֹגֶן
  • הֶעֱלָה עֹגֶן (he'ela ogen)raise the anchor
  • הֵרִים עֹגֶן (herim ogen)raise the anchor
Italian levare l'ancora
  • levare l'ancoraraise the anchor
Japanese 抜錨
  • 抜錨 (batsubyou)raise the anchor
Spanish levar anclas, levar
  • levar anclasraise the anchor
  • levarraise the anchor
Swedish lätta ankar
  • lätta ankarraise the anchor
Turkish demir almak
  • demir almakraise the anchor
Welsh codi angor, dirwyn angor
  • codi angorraise the anchor
  • dirwyn angorraise the anchor
Cite this entry
APA

weigh anchor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weigh%20anchor

MLA

“weigh anchor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weigh%20anchor. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “weigh anchor,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/weigh%20anchor.

Source: weigh anchor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.