sea anchor

noun

plural sea anchors
: a drag (see drag entry 2 sense 4a) typically made of canvas that is thrown overboard to slow the drifting of a ship or seaplane and to keep its bow or nose to the wind

Examples of sea anchor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Such practices act as sea anchors to innovation and the results shouldn’t be blamed on the FDA but rather on the lack of internal risk tolerance. Patrick Skerrett, STAT, 3 Aug. 2024 But it will be held down by a long fin below the surface that serves as a sea anchor. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 28 Sep. 2023 If they weren’t cut, the chutes would act as a sea anchor, drawing the crew down and drowning them. oregonlive.com, 15 July 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1769, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sea anchor was in 1769

Dictionary Entries Near sea anchor

Cite this Entry

“Sea anchor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea%20anchor. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!