1
: a machine for moving or raising heavy weights that consists of a vertical drum which can be rotated and around which cable is turned
2
: a rotating shaft that drives tape at a constant speed in a recorder
Examples of capstan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Such is the ship’s condition that some of her rigging is still in place, while her wooden capstan and bilge pump are also visible.
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Fox News, 23 July 2019
Various rare items were also visible aboard the ancient wreck, including a wooden bilge pump and a capstan, a wide cylinder used for winding up lengths of rope.
—William J. Broad, New York Times, 22 July 2019
Cranes, windlasses and capstans (ancient water-raising devices based on a kind of swinging, see-saw design) may well have inspired the use of counterweights in early elevators and hoists.
—Adrienne Bernhard, Smithsonian, 27 Apr. 2018
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Fox News, 23 July 2019
Various rare items were also visible aboard the ancient wreck, including a wooden bilge pump and a capstan, a wide cylinder used for winding up lengths of rope.
—William J. Broad, New York Times, 22 July 2019
Cranes, windlasses and capstans (ancient water-raising devices based on a kind of swinging, see-saw design) may well have inspired the use of counterweights in early elevators and hoists.
—Adrienne Bernhard, Smithsonian, 27 Apr. 2018
Dictionary Entries Near capstan
Cite this Entry
“Capstan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/capstan. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
capstan
noun
cap·stan
ˈkap-stən 
-ˌstan
: a device that consists of a drum to which a rope is fastened and that is used especially on ships for moving or raising weights
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