verb
weigh
To lift an anchor from the seabed before sailing.
The crew weighs anchor and sails out of the harbor.
Etymology
The Old English verb included lifting or carrying. Weighing anchor preserves that older sense by raising it from the seabed.
More examples
- We weigh anchor at dawn and head for open water.
- The captain ordered the crew to weigh anchor.
- After weighing anchor, we sailed toward the island.
Forms
weigh · weighs · weighed · weighing