capstan
English
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capstan
- /ˈkæp.stən/
Where it comes from
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”).
noun capstans · capstern · capstorm
- 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
- 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.
Translations
Every language
noun cylindrical machine
| Español | cabrestante, cabestrante, argüe (disused), argue (disused) |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 캡스턴 kaepseuteon |
| 日本語 | キャプスタン kyapusutan |
| 中文 | 絞盤 /绞盘 jiǎopán |
| हिन्दी | हवीत havīt, ढोल चर्ख़ी ḍhol carxī, कैप्सटन kaipsaṭan |
| Português | cabrestante |
| Français | cabestan |
| Deutsch | Spill, Gangspill, Ankerspill, Ankerwinde, Winde, Rollenantrieb |
| Italiano | cabestano |
| Română | cabestan |
| Русский | кабеста́н kabestán, во́рот vórot, nautical шпиль špilʹ |
| עברית | כַּנָּן kanan |
noun part of a tape recorder
| 한국어 | 캡스턴 kaepseuteon |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | कैप्सटन kaipsaṭan |
| Français | cabestan |
| Deutsch | Capstan, Bandantriebsrolle, Tonwelle, Antriebsrolle |
Talk about this word "capstan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/capstan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. capstan. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/capstan "capstan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/capstan.Cite this
@misc{capstan_2026,
title = {capstan},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/capstan},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
