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windlass

Nautical
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A horizontal winch or drum, often with gears, used for hoisting anchors or hauling cables.

Detailed Definition
The windlass is the horizontal counterpart to the capstan, a geared mechanism that offers mechanical advantage for heavy lifting. In poetry, it represents the application of technology to brute force, a step toward the modern machine age on the wooden deck. Its gearing implies patience and precision, a slower but more powerful pull than direct muscle. Poets use the windlass to evoke the grinding, metallic tension of a ship at work, especially in situations of emergency such as weighing anchor in a rising storm. The windlass's groaning protest becomes a poetic personification of the vessel's strained effort against the holding ground of the earth.
Example
Example in poetry:
The windlass in poetry represents the application of technology to brute force, a step toward the modern machine age on the wooden deck.; Its gearing implies patience and precision, a slower but more powerful pull than direct muscle.; Poets use the windlass to evoke the grinding, metallic tension of a ship at work, especially in emergencies.; The windlass’s groaning protest becomes a poetic personification of the vessel’s strained effort.; It is a horizontal winch or drum, often with gears, used for hoisting anchors or hauling cables.; The windlass is the horizontal counterpart to the capstan, a geared mechanism that offers mechanical advantage.
Additional Notes
The windlass is a horizontal winch, often with gears, used for hoisting anchors or hauling cables. In poetry, it represents the application of technology to brute force, a step toward the modern machine age on the wooden deck. Its gearing implies patience and precision, a slower but more powerful pull than direct muscle. Poets use the windlass to evoke the grinding, metallic tension of a ship at work, especially in emergencies such as weighing anchor in a rising storm. The windlass's groaning protest is a poetic personification of the vessel's strained effort against the holding ground of the earth.
Also Known As
Anchor windlass cable winch horizontal winch
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