WikiWord

English

capstan

/ˈkap.stən/ · noun

Meaning

  1. A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a spindle, used to apply force to ropes, cables, etc. It is typically surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for levers used to turn it.
  2. A rotating spindle used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder.

Etymology / origin

No prose etymology has been added yet.

No ancestor words have been linked yet.

Related words

Descendant words

No descendant words have been linked yet.

Sources

  1. DictionaryAPI.dev English dictionary data
capstan — meaning and etymology | WikiWord