noun. Any of numerous hauling or lifting machines consisting essentially of a horizontal cylinder turned by a crank or a motor so that a line attached to the load is wound around the cylinder.

transitive verb. To raise with a windlass.

noun. A hand or power machine for drawing a package of staves together to form a barrel.

To take a circuitous path; fetch a compass.

To adopt a circuitous, artful, or cunning course; use stratagem; act indirectly or warily.

To bend; turn about; bewilder.

noun. A winding or turning; a circuitous course; a circuit.

noun. undefined

noun. Any indirect, artful course; circumvention; art and contrivance; subtleties.

To use a windlass; raise something as by a windlass.

To hoist or haul by means of a windlass.

noun. A modification of the wheel and axle, used for raising weights, etc.

noun. A handle by which anything is turned; specifically, a winch-like contrivance for bending the arbalist or crossbow. See crossbow.

intransitive verb. To take a roundabout course; to work warily or by indirect means.

verb. To raise with, or as with, a windlass; to use a windlass.

noun. 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.

noun. An apparatus resembling a winch or windlass, for bending the bow of an arblast, or crossbow.

noun. See Differential windlass, under Differential.

noun. A winding and circuitous way; a roundabout course; a shift.

noun. Any of various forms of winch, in which a rope or cable is wound around a cylinder, used for lifting heavy weights

verb. To raise with, or as if with, a windlass; to use a windlass.

noun. lifting device consisting of a horizontal cylinder turned by a crank on which a cable or rope winds

"I remember when I was a little girl back on the farm in the Souris Valley, I used to water the cattle on Saturday mornings, drawing the water in an icy bucket with a windlass from a fairly deep well."

Chinese windlass  Spanish  Spanish windlass  differential  

lifting device  

capstan  yard donkey  yarder  

capstan  crane  derrick  hawser  pulley  

Chinese windlass  Spanish windlass  capstan  capstan  crab  

windlassed  windlasses  windlassing