Pronunciations (2)
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/ˈkæp.stən/
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ˈkap.stən
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.
Usage- especially
- Narrower terms
- Examples
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to pawl the capstan
to rig the capstan
More examples (4)
to surge the capstan
"Man the capstan! Blood and thunder!—jump!"—was the next command, and the crew sprang for the handspikes.
We toiled over the capstan, and late in the afternoon slipped out of the harbour.
Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.
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
- Examples
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More examples (1)
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.
Noun
a windlass rotated in a horizontal plane around a vertical axis; used on ships for weighing anchor or raising heavy sails