- (v.t.&i.) To raise with or as with, a windlass; to use a windlass.
- (n.) A winding and circuitous way; a roundabout course; a shift.
- (n.) A machine for raising weights, consisting of a horizontal cylinder or roller moving on its axis, and turned by a crank, lever or similar means, so as to wind up a rope or chain attached to the weight. In vessels the windlass is often used instead of the capstan for raising the anchor. It is usually set upon the forecastle, and is worked by hand or steam.
- (n.) An apparatus resembling a winch or windlass, for bending the bow of an arblast or crossbow.
- (v.i.) To take a roundabout course; to work warily or by indirect means.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). windlass. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/windlass/definitions/2082101 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "windlass" http://smartdefine.org/windlass/definitions/2082101 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, windlass, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/windlass/definitions/2082101>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "windlass" 28 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/windlass/definitions/2082101> |