drop anchor

drop anchor (third-person singular simple present drops anchor, present participle dropping anchor, simple past and past participle dropped anchor)

1. (nautical) To release the anchor of a ship or boat, allowing it to fall to the bed of a body of water and thereby securing the vessel in place.

   Antonym: weigh anchor

2. To stop travelling and settle down.
   • 1895, Allen Upward, The Prince of Balkistan (page 237)

     had emigrated first to one country, then to another, till he finally dropped anchor in London.

3. (euphemistic) To defecate.

   Synonyms: drop a bomb, drop a chalupa, drop a deuce, drop the kids off at the pool; see also Thesaurus:defecate

   • 2005, John Illig, Pacific Dream, →ISBN, page 204:

     Junkyard Dog always stopped for lengthy bathroom breaks by announcing his intentions in advance, using a different euphemism every time, saying, to name a few, "I have to: drop anchor... do some paperwork... lay some foundation... pinch a loaf... lighten my load...."

   • 2011, Andy Weir, chapter 9, in The Martian, →ISBN, page 95:

     And if you think things are bad after opening the piss box, imagine the smell after I drop anchor.

   • 2014 February 24, Ashley Burns, “A Company Will Soon Offer A VIP Public Restroom In New York City For $8 A Plop”, in UPROXX Web Culture, retrieved 26 July 2015:

     POSH is the perfect alternative to . . . stopping in a filthy, germ-infested public restroom to drop anchor. . . . Instead, the POSH Stow and Go offers people a private, clean bathroom experience.

• “drop anchor”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.