Sheet anchor

noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A large, spare anchor used in an emergency.

    "The Ship having thus depth of water again, and come into a place of some convenient anchourage, our first anchour not holding us, we let fall our sheet anchour […]"

  2. 2
    spare anchor for use in emergency wordnet
  3. 3
    A source of help in times of danger; last resort. broadly

    "1691, Ezekiel Hopkins, An Exposition of the Ten Commandments, with Other Sermons, London: Nathanael Ranew, “The Ninth Commandment,” p. 62, And doubtless when other Arguments have been baffled by a Temptation, this hath been a Sheet Anchor to the Soul, and hath often held it in the greatest Storms, when the Wind and Waves have beat most furiously against it."

  4. 4
    A batsman who provides dependable defence while a series of other batsmen score rapidly.

Etymology

From shoot and anchor.

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