anchor baby

[ ang-ker bey-bee ]

nounDisparaging and Offensive.
  1. a term used to refer to a baby born to an undocumented mother in a country where the baby becomes a citizen at birth, especially when the birth is planned to facilitate eventual legal residency for the family.

Origin of anchor baby

1
First recorded in 1995–2000; from the parents' intent to “anchor” themselves and not be deported

Words Nearby anchor baby

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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