English
capstan
Capstan may come from Old French cabestan.
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English capstan
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or: “Man the capstan! Blood and thunder!—jump!"—was the next command,…”.
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400cabestanWiktionary, English capstanuncertain
- Englishearliest quotation 1851capstanWiktionary, English capstan. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or: “Man the capstan! Blood and thunder!—jump!"—was the next command,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *kap-
had, head, case, except, heavy, accept, receive, behavior, cash, catch, achieve, heavily, chapter, chase, capital, capacity, cable, captain, chef, recipe, reception, capable, escape, occupation, perception, haven, capture, behave, recipient, cattle, cabin, chapel, hawk, cape, susceptible, deception, capitol, anticipation, anticipate, chassis, 176 more
Today it means
noun A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a spindle, typically surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for levers for turning it; used to apply force to cables, ropes, etc.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “capstan”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Old French cabestan / capstan