Anne Corr/Origin

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Origin
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. Anchors can either be temporary or permanent. A permanent anchor is used in the creation of a mooring, and is rarely moved; a specialist service is normally needed to move or maintain it. Vessels carry one or more temporary anchors, which may be of different designs and weights. A sea anchor is a drogue, not in contact with the seabed, used to control a drifting vessel. There also exists in heraldry the "Anchored Cross", or Mariner's Cross, a stylized cross in the shape of an anchor. The symbol can be used to signify 'fresh start' or 'hope'.