Etymology

From Middle French cabestant, of uncertain origin. Either from Old Provençal cabestran ‎(“instrument to coil cords”), a noun use of present participle of verb cabestrar, from cabestre ‎(“pulley rope”) ; or from Spanish cabestrante, cabrestante, from cabestrar ‎(“to bind with a halter”), from cabestro ‎(“halter”), from Latin capistrum ‎(“halter”), from capere ‎(“to hold”) (see capacious); or perhaps the Spanish is from Latin caper ‎(“goat”) + -stans, present participle of stare ‎(“to stand”) ; confer French chèvre ‎(“she-goat”), also a machine for raising heavy weights.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.bɛ.stɑ̃/