Drawworks : (n) The hoisting mechanism on a drilling rig. It is essentially a large winch that spools off or takes in the drilling line and thus lowers or raises the drill stem and bit
US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool, Washington, DC. This is an abridged version of the Dictionary of Petroleum Terms provided by Petex and the University of Texas Austin, USA 2001. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/oilandgas/glossary _of_terms/glossary_of_terms_a.html, (Oil Well Drilling Sci and Tech - Amer) {492}