English · Idiom Historical

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Preserved but no longer current.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.

Topics: Sea & boats Historical slang (1800s)

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.

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