From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwindlasswind‧lass /ˈwɪndləs/ noun [countable] TEMa machine for pulling or lifting heavy objects
Examples from the Corpus
windlass• Another has him tortured to death by having his intestines pulled from him by a windlass.• Missing was a windlass, used to raise and lower the anchor.• Y., was not violating any regulation by operating without a windlass, officials said.• Because there was no windlass, both ends of the anchor line were shackled together, Ward said.• Sandy McGlashan, the windlass man, climbed down the ladder and came to sit beside Cameron.• Some specialists said Thursday that the windlass might not have enabled the crew to anchor the barge in the storm.Origin windlass (1300-1400) Old Norse vindass, from vinda “to wind” + ass “pole” 