aucestrel 
ancestrelt, See ancestral. 
ancestress (an'ses-tres), n. [< ancestor + -ess.'] 
A female ancestor. [Kare.] 
This aw-fxtffxx is a lady, or rather the ghost of a liuly. 
Curlylr, Misc. Ess., II. 274. 
ancestrial (an-ses'tri-al), . Same as iiiici-nlniL 
.V. K. I). 
ancestry (an'ses-tri), n. [< ME. ancestry, IIH- 
cfntric,aunce8trii; (iiu'ititry, etc., also, without s, 
ancetry, atiHwIri/, ituncctrie, aunsetre,(. OF. un- 
nwrie, aacenseric, < a licensor, ancestor: see an- 
cestor.] 1. A series or line of ancestors or 
progenitors ; lineage, or those who compose a 
preceding line of natural descent. 
Headless statues uf his ancestry. 
Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. 
That senior posterity which was such for Homer, but 
for us has long ago become a worshipful ancestry. 
De Quincey, Homer, i. 
Hence 2. Descent from a line of honorable 
ancestors ; high birth. 
Title and ancestry render a good man more illustrious, 
but a bad man more conspicuous. Addison. 
3. In tool., the series of ancestors or ancestral 
types through which an organized being may 
have come to be what it is in the process of 
evolution. 
ancetryt, '< A Middle English form of ancestry. 
Chaucer. 
Ancens (an-se'us), n. [NL.] A genus of iso- 
pods, based by Risso in 1816 upon the male 
form of an isopod the female of which Leach 
called Praniza (which see). See Gnathia. Also 
written Anc(sus. 
anchesont, An earlier form of encheson. 
Anchilophus (ang-kil'o-fus), n. [NL., < Gr. 
ayx', near, + M^Of, crest.] A genus of fossil 
perissodactyl ungulate quadrupeds, of the fam- 
ily Lophiodontidw, related to the TapiridtB. Ger- 
vais, 1852. 
anchilops (ang'ki-lops), . [NL., < Gr. ayx'<-- 
/(ji/i, a sore at the inner corner of the eye 
(Galenus), as if from ayxi, near ; appar. a cor- 
ruption of aiyifanl>, tegilops : see aigilops. ] In 
pathol., an abscess in the inner angle of the 
eye, superficial to the lacrymal sac. When such 
an abscess opens at the inner angle it is called 
a'gilops. 
anchippodontid (ang-kip-o-don'tid), n. A 
hoofed mammal of the family Anchippodontida: 
Anchippodontidae (ang-kip-o-don'ti-de), n. pi. 
[NL., < Anehippodus (-odont-) + -idee.] A fam- 
ily of fossil perissodactyl ungulate mammals. 
It is related to the older forms of the Perissmlactyla, but 
differs from them in having the incisor teeth in part 
gliriform, the outer ones having persistent pulps and 
growing continuously in a circular direction, like those of 
rodents. 
Anchippodontoidea (ang-kip'o-don-toi'de-a). 
n.pl. [NL., < Anehippodus (-odont-) + -oided.] 
A superfamily group of perissodactyl quadru- 
peds, by which the family Anchippodontidw is 
singularly contrasted with all other perissodac- 
tyls collectively. 
Anehippodus (ang-kip'o-dus), . [NL., < 
Anchippus + Gr. b6ov( (btiovr-) = E. tooth.] A 
genus of fossil perissodactyls, the type of the 
family Anchippodontida; and superfamily An- 
chippodontoiflea : synonymous with Trogosus of 
Leidy. 
Anchippus (ang-kip'us), n. [NL., < Gr. ayxi, 
near, + imrof, horse.] A genus of fossil horses, 
of the family Anchitheriidte (which see). 
anchisaurid (ang-ki-sa'rid), . A dinosaur of 
the family Anchisauridte. 
Anchisauridae (ang-ki-sa'ri-de), n. pi. [NL., < 
Anchisaurus + -idee.] A family of theropod 
dinosaurian reptiles, represented by the genus 
Anchisaurus. The family includes several genera of the 
Triassic period the members of which had amphicoelous 
vertebrae, slender pubes, pentadactyl fore feet, and tri- 
dactyl hind feet. Formerly called Amphisauridce. 
Anchisaurus (ang-ki-sa'rus), n. [NL., < Gr. 
ayxi, ue&r, + o-oi'pof, a lizard.] The typical ge- 
nus of the family Anchisauridce. Also called 
AmpMsaurns, a name preoccupied for a differ- 
ent genus. 
anchithere (ang'ki-ther), n. [< Anchitherium.] 
An animal of the genus Anchitherium. 
The horse can even boast a pedigree in this quarter of 
the world, in a right line, through a slender three-toed an- 
cestry, as far back as the anchithere of the eocene period. 
Edinburgh Rev. 
anchitheriid (ang-ki-the'ri-id), n. A hoofed 
mammal of the family Anchitheriidte. 
Anchitheriidae(i"ig"ki-the-ri'i-de), n.pl. [NL., 
< Anchitherium + -idte.] A family of fossil 
perissodactyl ungulate mammals, it shares the 
ungulate characters of the Eyuida, or horses, but differs 
201 
from them in having the ulna complete, moderately devel- 
oped, anil more or less distinct from the radius; the fibula 
complete, though ankylosed with the tibia; the orbit of 
the eye incomplete behind ; the upper molar teeth marked 
by a deep anterior groove recnteriri^; fnmi the middle of 
the inner side and ending in lateral branches, and a pos- 
terior groove reentering from the posterior wall; and the 
lower molars marked by a V-shaped groove reentering 
from the outer wall, and two V-shaped grooves reentering 
from the inner wall, the crowns thus having W-shaped 
ridges, Hesides the typicalgenus Anchitln'ritnn, the fam- 
ily contains the fI>{}i<>liij>j>tt.--\ I'ltralu'jtpttM, and Anckipjnts 
of Leidy. 
anchitherioid (ang-ki-the'ri-oid), a. Kj4*0JW- 
therium + -oz'rf.] Relating or belonging to or 
resembling the genus Anclt ithrri iuit. 
The only genus of animals of which we possess a satis- 
factory . . . ancestral history is the genus Equus, the de- 
velopment of which in the course of the Tertiary epoch 
from an Anchitherioid ancestor, through the form of Hip- 
parion, appears to admit of no doubt. 
Huxley, Encyc. Brit., II. 40. 
Anchitherium (ang-ki-the'ri-um), n. [NL., < 
Gr. o.yxh near, + fofptov, a wild beast.] A ge- 
nus of extinct perissodactyl or odd-toed hoofed 
mammals, found in the Upper Eocene and Lower 
Miocene of Europe and the United States, it 
was a kind of horse about the size of a small pony, and had 
three functionally developed toes. By some naturalists 
it is referred to the same family as the modern horse, 
Equidce ; but by others it is placed with Palceotherium in 
the family Palceotheriidce. It is also, with greater exact- 
ness, made the type of a distinct family, Anckitheriidce 
(which see). A species is A. aurelianenne. Synonymous 
with Hipparitherium. 
anchor 1 (ang'kor), n. [The spelling has been 
changed to make it look like anchora, a cor- 
rupt mod. spelling of L. ancora; prop, anker, 
in early mod. E. reg. anker, also anchor, ankor, 
ancour, etc.,< ME. reg. anker (alaoankre, ancre, 
after OF. ancre), < AS. ancor, ancer, oncer = D. 
ank&r = OHG. anchar, MHO. G. anker (> Pol. 
ankier) = Icel. akkeri = Sw. ankar = Dan. anker 
= OF. and F. ancre = Sp. ancla, dncora = Pg. 
ancora = lt. ancora, < L. ancora (in mod. spell- 
ing corruptly anchora, > E. anchor*, prob. by 
confusion with anker 2 , later anchor 2 , where the 
"restored" spelling has an actual Gr. basis) = 
OBulg. anukyura, anukira =Russ. yakori= Lith. 
inkoras = Lett. enkuris = Alban. ankure, < Gr. 
ay-Kvpa, an anchor, a hook, connected with ay/cof, 
a bend, ayKvAog, cnooked, curved, L. angulus, an 
angle, a corner : see angle*, angle 3 , ankle, anky- 
lose, etc.] 1. A device for securing a vessel to 
the ground under water by means of a cable. 
Anchors are generally 
e cie^i made of iron, and con- 
v b sist of a strong shank 
". at one extremity of 
which is the crown c, 
from which branch out 
two arms b b, curved in- 
ward, and each termi- 
nating in a broad palm 
or fluke d d, the sharp 
extremity of which is 
the peak or bill. At the 
other end of the shank 
is the stock e e,& trans- 
verse piece, behind which is a shackle or ring, to which a ca- 
ble may be attached. The principal use of the stock, which 
in nearly all anchors is now made of iron and is placed at 
right angles to the curved arms b b, is to cause the arms to 
fall so that one of the flukes shall enterthe ground. Accord- 
ing to their various forms and uses, anchors are called star- 
board-bower, port-bower, sheet, spare, stream, kedge, and 
grapnel or boat anchors. Those carried by men-of-war are 
the starboard- andport- 
bowers,on the star board 
and port bows respec- 
tively ; the sheet, on 
either side of the ship 
further aft ; and the 
spare anchor, which is 
usually in the hold. 
These are all of equal 
or nearly equal size and 
weight. To these are 
added for various pur- 
poses the stream and 
kedge anchors, which 
are smaller and of va- 
rious sizes. Many im- 
provements and novelties in the shape and construction of 
anchors have been introduced in recent times. The prin- 
cipal names connected with these alterations are those of 
Lieut. Rodgers, who introduced the hollow-shanked anchor, 
with the view of increasing the strength without adding 
to the weight ; Mr. Porter, who made the arms and flukes 
movable by pivoting them to the shank instead of fixing 
them immovably, causing the anchor to take a readier and 
firmer hold, and 
avoiding the danger 
of fouling the ca- 
ble ; Mr. Trotman, 
who has further im- 
proved Porter's in- 
vention ; and M. 
Martin, whose an- 
chor is of very pecu- 
Martin's Anchor. liar form, and is con- 
structed so as to be 
self-canting, the arms revolving through an angle of 30 
either way, and the sharp points of the flukes being always 
ready to enter the ground. Of the many other forms, all 
Common Anchor. 
Irl 
Trotman's Anchor. 
anchor 
(except Tyzack's anchor, which has only one arm, iiivi<t< M 
on a bifurcation of the shank and arranged to swing be- 
tween the two parts) are more or less closely related to the 
forms illustrated. The anchor is said to lie a-corkliill when 
it is suspended vertically from the cathead ready to be let 
go ; apfitk when the cable is drawn in so tight as to bring 
it directly under the ship ; ati-ijj or ntn'iffh when it is just 
drawn out of the ground in a perpendicular direction ; 
and uwagh when the stock is hove up to the surface of tin- 
water. 
2. Any similar device for holding fast or check- 
ing the motion of a movable object. 
That part of the apparatus] in the curricle] which fell to 
the ground to assist in stopping the carriage was called 
the anchor. This was made of wood and iron, or iron 
alone, fixed to the axle-tree by two couplings on each side. 
E. M. Stratton, World on Wheels, p. 380. 
Specifically (a) The apparatus at the opposite end of the 
field from the engine of a steam-plow, to which pulleys 
are fixed, round which the endless band or rope that moves 
the plow passes, (b) The device by which the extremities 
of the chains or wire ropes of a suspension-bridge are se- 
cured. See anchorage^. 
3. Figuratively, that which gives stability or 
security ; that on which dependence is placed. 
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure 
and stedfast. Heb. vi. 19. 
4. In arch. : (a) A name for the arrow-head or 
tongue ornament used especially in the so- 
called egg-and-dart molding, (b) A metallic 
clamp, sometimes of fanciful design, fastened 
Medieval Tie-rod Anchors. 
(From Violtet-le-Duc's " Diet, de 1' Architecture."} 
on the outside of a wall to the end of a tie-rod 
or strap connecting it with an opposite wall to 
prevent bulging. 5. In zool. : (a) Some ap- 
pendage or arrangement of parts by which a 
parasite fastens itself upon its host. 
A powerful anchor, by which the parasite is moored to 
its hapless prey. P. H. Gum, Marine Zobl. (1855), 1. 114. 
(6) Something shaped like an anchor; an 
ancora. See ancora^. 6. An iron plate placed 
in the back part of a coke-oven before it is 
charged with coal. See anclior-o?en Anchor 
and collar, an upper hinge used for heavy gates. The 
anchor is embedded in the adjacent masonry, and the col- 
lar is secured to it by a clevis. Through the collar passes 
the heel-post of the gate. Anchor escapement. See 
escapement. At single anchor, having only one anchor 
down. Floating or sea anchor, an apparatus variously 
constructed, designed to be sunk below the swell of the 
sea where there is no anchorage, to prevent a vessel from 
drifting. Foul anchor. See foul, a. Mooring an- 
chor, a large, heavy mass, usually of iron, placed at the 
bottom of a harbor or roadstead, for the purpose 01 fixing 
a buoy, or of affording safe and convenient anchorage to 
vessels. In the lat- 
ter case a floating 
buoy, to which a 
Mushroom Anchor. 
ship may be easily 
and speedily at- 
tached by a cable, 
is fastened to it by 
a chain. Mush- 
room anchor, an 
anchor with a sau- 
cer-shaped head 
on acentral shank, 
used for mooring. Nuts of an anchor, two projections 
welded on the shank to secure the stock in place. To 
back an anchor (none.), to lay down a small anchor 
ahead of a large one, the cable of the small one being 
fastened to the crown of the large one to prevent it from 
coming home. To cast anchor, to let run the cathead 
stopper, thus releasing the anchor from the cathead, and 
permitting it to sink to the bottom. To cat the anchor, 
to draw the anchor perpendicularly up to the cathead 
by a strong tackle called the cat. To drag anchor, to 
draw or trail it along the bottom when loosened, or when 
the anchor will not hold: said of a ship. To fish the 
anchor, to hoist the flukes of an anchor to the top of the 
gunwale by an appliance called a fh, in order to stow it 
after it has been catted. To lie at anchor, or ride at 
anchor, said of a vessel when kept at some particular spot 
by her anchor. To shoe an anchor, to secure to the 
nukes broad, triangular pieces of plank to give better 
holding in soft bottom. To sweep for an anchor, to 
drag the bottom with the bight of a rope to find a lost 
anchor. To weigh anchor, to heave or raise the anchor 
or anchors from the ground ; free a vessel from anchorage 
in preparation for sailing. 
anchor 1 (ang'kor), v. [Early mod. E. reg. an- 
ker, < ME. ankren, ancren, < AS. "ancrian = D. 
ankeren = G. ankern = Sw. ankra = Dan. an- 
kre; cf. F. ancrer = Sp. aiiclar, anoorurnPg. 
ancorar = It. ancorare, < ML. ancorarc; from 
the noun.] I. trans. 1. To fix or secure in a 
particular place by means of an anchor; place 
at anchor: as, to anchor a ship. 2. Figura- 
tively, to fix or fasten; affix firmly. 
