From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcapstancap‧stan /ˈkæpstən/ noun [countable] TTWa round machine shaped like a drum, used to wind up a rope that pulls or lifts heavy objects
Examples from the Corpus
capstan• He stood before an arrangement with a central capstan or gearbox from which horizontal arms of various lengths protruded in all directions.• But Grundig had to provide quite separate sound heads, and individual capstans to drive the tape.• Q7 No, if new capstans produce attractive prices.• Bollards are prone to sudden collapse, and the ropes often jam in the groove behind the capstan during retrieval.• I am intrigued by the capstan winches fitted to the Range Rovers on the Darien Gap crossing.• On Monday morning's tide they started on the capstan again.Origin capstan (1300-1400) Old Provençal cabestan, from cabestre “rope for leading an animal”, probably from Latin capere “to take, hold” 