[common; from ham radio]
1. Like {doorstop} but more severe; implies that the offending
hardware is irreversibly dead or useless. "That was a working
motherboard once. One lightning strike later, instant boat anchor!"
2. A person who just takes up space.
3. Obsolete but still working hardware, especially when used of an
old, bulky, quirky system; originally a term of annoyance, but became
more and more affectionate as the hardware became more and more
obsolete.
Auctioneers use this term for a large, undesirable object such as a
washing machine; actual boating enthusiasts, however, use "mooring
anchor" for frustrating (not actually useless) equipment.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {doorstop}]