ETYM French cabestan, from Spanish cabestrante, cabrestante, from cabestrar to bind with a halter, from cabestrohalter, from Latin capistrum halter, from capere to hold (see Capacious).
A windlass rotated in a horizontal plane.
Upright device for winding in heavy ropes or cables.
On a tape recorder, a polished metal post against which a turning rubber wheel (called a pinch roller) presses to move a length of magnetic tape placed between the wheel and the post. The capstan controls the speed of the tape as it moves past the recording head. See also pinch roller.