A wheel with a grooved rim for a rope or cable, used to change the direction of a force or gain mechanical advantage. In compound terms, it can refer to a block-and-tackle system.
They lifted heavy materials using a pulley at the construction site.
滑車の原理を利用すると、小さな力で大きな荷物を動かせる。
By using the principle of the pulley, you can move a large load with a small force.
movable pulley
fixed pulley
trochlear nerve
bull's-eye (pulley block)
Compound of 滑 (katsu, 'slide') + 車 (sha, 'wheel'). The reading かっしゃ is a regular sound change from かつしゃ.