capstan
/ˈkæp.stən/
capstan noun: 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.
Noun
capstan (plural capstans)
- 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.
- to pawl the capstan
- to rig the capstan
- A rotating spindle used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder.
- a screw on the rising side of a piano key, which serves the function of lifting the wippen when the key is depressed
- The upward force of the capstan causes the wippen to rise, thrusting the jack upward into another component called the “knuckle” that is fixed to one end of the hammer shank.(Can we date this quote?), Kawai
capstan meaning in Hindi and Tamil
capstan in Hindi
- cylindrical machine
- हवीत havīt, ढोल चर्ख़ी ḍhol carxī, कैप्सटन kaipsaṭan
- part of a tape recorder
- कैप्सटन kaipsaṭan
capstan in Tamil
- நங்கூரவுருளை, கம்பை உருளை, கயிறிழு குத்துருளை, நங்கூரம் வாங்கி
Examples of capstan in a sentence
- to surge the capstan
- We toiled over the capstan, and late in the afternoon slipped out of the harbour.1951, W. I. B. Crealock, Vagabonding Under Sail, Hastings House (New York), page 211:
- With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
Forms of capstan
| plural | capstans |
|---|---|
| alternative form (obsolete) | capstern |
| alternative form (obsolete) | capstorm |
Origin of capstan
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”).
Words formed from capstan
- capstan bar
- capstan effect
- capstanman
- capstan screw
- jeer capstan
Phrases with capstan
Questions about capstan
- What does capstan mean?
- Capstan means 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.
- What is capstan in Hindi?
- Capstan in Hindi is हवीत (havīt), ढोल चर्ख़ी (ḍhol carxī), कैप्सटन (kaipsaṭan). See Capstan meaning in Hindi.
- How do you use capstan in a sentence?
- to surge the capstan
- What part of speech is capstan?
- Capstan is a noun.
- How do you pronounce capstan?
- Capstan is pronounced /ˈkæp.stən/.
- What is the plural of capstan?
- The plural of capstan is capstans.
Words near capstan in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: capstan (page history and authors); capstan (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-capstan.wav.
Cite this entry: “capstan.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/capstan. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.