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capstan
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- Capstan - 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.
- Whim - n. - A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from mines, or for other purposes; -- called also whim gin, and whimsey.
- Windlass - 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.
- Jack - n. - A portable machine variously constructed, for exerting great pressure, or lifting or moving a heavy body through a small distance. It consists of a lever, screw, rack and pinion, hydraulic press, or any simple combination of mechanical powers, working in a compact pedestal or support and operated by a lever, crank, capstan bar, etc. The name is often given to a jackscrew, which is a kind of jack.
- Whelp - n. - One of the longitudinal ribs or ridges on the barrel of a capstan or a windless; -- usually in the plural; as, the whelps of a windlass.
- Drumhead - n. - The top of a capstan which is pierced with sockets for levers used in turning it. See Illust. of Capstan.
- Swifter - n. - A rope used to retain the bars of the capstan in their sockets while men are turning it.
- Unship - v. t. - To remove or detach, as any part or implement, from its proper position or connection when in use; as, to unship an oar; to unship capstan bars; to unship the tiller.
- Lever - n. - A bar, as a capstan bar, applied to a rotatory piece to turn it.
- Fleet - v. t. - To cause to slip down the barrel of a capstan or windlass, as a rope or chain.
- Fleet - n. & a. - To slip on the whelps or the barrel of a capstan or windlass; -- said of a cable or hawser.