capstan screw

English

Noun

capstan screw (plural capstan screws)

1. A type of screw commonly used to regulate the height of the action in a piano. The capstan screw is designed to be turned from the side, not the head, unlike an ordinary screw. A lever enters a hole in the side of the screw to turn it.
2. (nautical) Mainly on sailboats, the mechanism for winding ropes under a lot of tension; a capstan.