Capstan
//ˈkæp.stən// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a spindle, typically surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for levers for turning it; used to apply force to cables, ropes, etc. especially
"to pawl the capstan"
- 2 a windlass rotated in a horizontal plane around a vertical axis; used on ships for weighing anchor or raising heavy sails wordnet
- 3 A rotating spindle used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder.
Example
More examples""Man the capstan! Blood and thunder!—jump!"—was the next command, and the crew sprang for the handspikes."
Etymology
Borrowed into Middle English from either Old French cabestan, from Old Occitan cabestan, from cabestre (“pulley cord”) or from Spanish cabestran, both of which derive from Latin capistrum (“halter”), from capiō (“take hold of”).
Related phrases
More for "capstan"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.