lie at anchor

lie at anchor

Of a ship, to remain anchored in wait. We must lie at anchor until this storm passes by. We have a ship lying at anchor the moment you are ready to depart.
See also: anchor, lie
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

lie at anchor

[for a ship] to wait or rest at anchor. The ship lay at anchor throughout the day while a shore party searched for the runaway. We lay at anchor overnight, waiting for the tide.
See also: anchor, lie
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • at anchor
  • drop anchor
  • moor up
  • weigh anchor
  • break ship
  • be broad in the beam
  • go down with the ship
  • when (one's) ship comes in
  • when one's ship comes in
  • when someone's ship comes in
References in classic literature
He held them silent with ghastly stories of the "Yo-hoes" on Monomoy Beach, that mock and terrify lonely clam-diggers; of sand-walkers and dune-haunters who were never properly buried; of hidden treasure on Fire Island guarded by the spirits of Kidd's men; of ships that sailed in the fog straight over Truro township; of that harbour in Maine where no one but a stranger will lie at anchor twice in a certain place because of a dead crew who row alongside at midnight with the anchor in the bow of their old-fashioned boat, whistling - not calling, but whistling - for the soul of the man who broke their rest.
Captains Courageous
This year's visitors include the return of the 40,350 tonne Seabourne Ovation, whose size means it will have to lie at anchor off Queen Elizabeth Pier.
Scrabster harbour cruise ship season off to sunny start
By: Egypt Today staff CAIRO -- 11 November 2017: The cruise ship Mein Schiff 5, carrying 3,460 tourists from different nationalities, arrived in Safaga, a Red Sea town, on Friday to lie at anchor for two days before it sails to other international ports.
3,460 tourists arrive in Safaga on one ship
From the Italian quaranta (forty), "quarantine" refers to the practice established in European port cities during the Black Death requiring vessels to lie at anchor for 40 days before landing.
Quarantine [kwor'en-ten]
Trawlers lie at anchor in the bay, mesh nets coiled on drums.
Hooked on California
Luxury Lamborghinis, Range Rovers and Maseratis line the streets and multimillion pound yachts lie at anchor.
Has the Costa living ended our holiday romance with Spain? As British visits plummet by 19 per cent leaving beaches empty, we ask.
We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it--but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor."
A truly great year--my tenure as NLC President
At the moment, the Albert J Myer and the rest of the Ghost Fleet still lie at anchor, the floating dead.
A TICKING TIME BOMB
Julian, a native of Bequia, gives us a briefing on his island during "Story Time" as we lie at anchor in its yacht filled bay the next morning.
Sailing the Grenadines: barefootin' the Southern Caribbean on the Yankee Clipper, a Windjammer tall ship
Out-of-work spy ships, still emblazoned with the hammer and sickle, lie at anchor in the narrow channel that leads to the grimlooking passenger terminal.
In Russia, it's St. Petersburg again
Trawlers lie at anchor in the bay with mesh nets coiled on huge drums.
Hooked on California's seafood trail; Alex Finer finds plenty to whet his appetite on a trip down Highway One