ankeren

Ankeren is a Dutch verb meaning to anchor, i.e., to secure a vessel or object in a fixed position by using an anchor. Literally, it refers to dropping the anchor to the seabed and letting out rope or chain to hold the vessel in place. The infinitive is ankeren; the simple past is ankerde and the past participle is geankerd.

In maritime practice, ankeren is common for ships, boats, and floating installations in harbours or at sea. The act involves bringing the vessel to a suitable position, lowering the anchor, and paying out the line or chain to achieve sufficient scope. The holding depends on weather, currents, and depth to ensure the vessel remains stationary without dragging. Common expressions include het schip ankeren (the ship anchoring) and aan het anker liggen (to lie at anchor).

Beyond literal use, ankeren can be employed figuratively to describe stabilizing or securing something in place, such as a plan, policy, or institution. In Dutch, verankeren is a related term that often emphasizes embedding something more permanently or legally, whereas ankeren tends to refer to the act of anchoring itself, in nautical or metaphorical senses.

Past tense forms are ankerde (simple past) and geankerd (past participle). The term remains a standard part of nautical vocabulary in Dutch and appears in both practical and literary contexts when discussing securing a position or grounding an idea.