In response to the order, the phrase "anchors aweigh" reports back that all anchors are clear of the sea bottom; therefore the ship is officially under way. "Anchors aweigh" is often misspelled as "Anchor's away", leading to confusing the terms, and sometimes misunderstanding the order as meaning "to drop anchor".

Aweigh comes from the Old English and Dutch wegan, which means “to weigh” or “to lift.” In the nautical sense, anchors aweigh means “anchors lifted.” Traditionally spelled a-weigh, the term has a comparable meaning to atrip (or a-trip), meaning “cleared or lifted from the bottom.”

English: 1929 acetate United States Navy Band recording of "Anchors Aweigh" under the baton of Lieutenant Charles Benter. The song itself is originally from 1906, although the recording is from 1929. Both are in the public domain due to age.