the anchor is apeak
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
That is, the cable of the anchor is so tight that the ship is drawn completely over it.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “the anchor is apeak” mean?
That is, the cable of the anchor is so tight that the ship is drawn completely over it.
Is “the anchor is apeak” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.