capstan
/ˈkæp.stən/noun
capstan is spelled C-A-P-S-T-A-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 9 million words in written English, the 91,522nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, capstan means “A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a spindle, typically surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for levers for turning it; used to apply…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of capstan is capstans.
How many letters and syllables are in capstan?
| Letters | 7: C-A-P-S-T-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 9 million words; the 91,522nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is capstan?
Capstan appears about once in every 9 million words in written English, the 91,522nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce capstan?
- /ˈkæp.stən/
Capstan has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-capstan.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of capstan
- capstans plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does capstan mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
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.
to pawl the capstan
- 2
A rotating spindle used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder.
- 3
a screw on the rising side of a piano key, which serves the function of lifting the wippen when the key is depressed
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Capstan in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense cylindrical machine:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cabestan |
| German | Spill, Gangspill, Ankerspill, Ankerwinde, Winde, Rollenantrieb |
| Portuguese | cabrestante |
| Spanish | cabrestante, cabestrante, argüe (disused), argue (disused) |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does capstan come from?
Borrowed into Middle English from either Old French cabestan, from Old Occitan cabestan, from cabestre (“pulley cord”) or from Spanish cabestran, both of which derive from Latin capistrum (“halter”), from capiō (“take hold of”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).