to weigh anchor
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To haul in the anchor, that the ship may sail away from its mooring. Figuratively, to begin an enterprise which has hung on hand.
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 weigh anchor” mean?
To haul in the anchor, that the ship may sail away from its mooring. Figuratively, to begin an enterprise which has hung on hand.
Is “to weigh anchor” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.