Checking saved dictionary data and trusted language sources. This will stop automatically if a source does not respond.
/ˈkæp.stən/ · noun
(especially nautical) 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
to rig the capstan
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.
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.
Use capstan when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Capstan means (especially nautical) 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..
The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
to pawl the capstan
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.