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capstan
[ kap-stuhn, -stan ]
/ ˈkæp stən, -stæn /
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noun
any of various windlasses, rotated in a horizontal plane by hand or machinery, for winding in ropes, cables, etc.
a rotating spindle or shaft, powered by an electric motor, that transports magnetic tape past the heads of a tape recorder at a constant speed.
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Origin of capstan
1350–1400; Middle English <Middle French cabestan(t) <Old Provençal cabestan, variant of cabestran, presumably present participle of *cabest(r)ar, a verbal derivative of cabestre halter <Latin capistrum
Words nearby capstan
capsid, capsize, cap sleeve, capsomere, cap spinning, capstan, capstan bar, capstan lathe, capstan table, capstone, capsular
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use capstan in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for capstan
capstan
/ (ˈkæpstən) /
noun
a machine with a drum that rotates round a vertical spindle and is turned by a motor or lever, used for hauling in heavy ropes, etc
any similar device, such as the rotating shaft in a tape recorder that pulls the tape past the head
Word Origin for capstan
C14: from Old Provençal cabestan, from Latin capistrum a halter, from capere to seize
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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