(n.) A vertical cleated drum or cylinder, revolving on an upright spindle, and surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for bars or levers. It is much used, especially on shipboard, for moving or raising heavy weights or exerting great power by traction upon a rope or cable, passing around the drum. It is operated either by steam power or by a number of men walking around the capstan, each pushing on the end of a lever fixed in its socket.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). capstan. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/capstan/definitions/1984584 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "capstan" http://smartdefine.org/capstan/definitions/1984584 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, capstan, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/capstan/definitions/1984584>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "capstan" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/capstan/definitions/1984584> |