to cat the anchor
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To hang the anchor on the cathead, a piece of timber outside the ship to which the anchor is hung to keep it clear of the ship.
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 “to cat the anchor” mean?
To hang the anchor on the cathead, a piece of timber outside the ship to which the anchor is hung to keep it clear of the ship.
Is “to cat the anchor” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.