forklift

American  

[fawrk-lift] / ˈfɔrkˌlɪft /

noun

• forklifts
  plural

1. Also called forklift truck,.  Also called fork truck.  a small vehicle with two power-operated prongs at the front that can be slid under heavy loads and then raised for moving and stacking materials in warehouses, shipping depots, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to move or stack by forklift.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• forklifts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of forklift

First recorded in 1940–45; fork + lift

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forklift forklifts

In her own court filing, the staffer described how the center had been blocked off by gates and witnessed how a forklift had "run into and hit the pillars on the building several times."

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

Back in Germany, forklift truck manufacturer Jungheinrich is losing customers to Chinese competitors in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

The ingots were loaded into the van by cast house supervisor Ashford, using a forklift, before being driven off-site by Membury.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Some of the employees still work there, including Jorge Cuervo, the production supervisor, and Fabian Diaz, who mans the forklift.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026

Otrera herself stood astride a battle forklift, her silver hair flowing as she swung her mounted crossbow toward the chariot.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Meanwhile, other diesel-powered machines are electrifying, from forklifts to wheel loaders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

However, they said the building does house about 60 forklifts that run on lithium-ion batteries, although those are “currently unburned.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026

Eventually, all these materials wind up at one of four baling machines that compress them into giant blocks, which then get moved around the facility’s storage area by crew-operated forklifts.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

He spent time in Iowa, Michigan, and most memorably, Alaska, where he operated cranes, forklifts, and anchored vessels as a dock worker at Pacific Star Seafoods.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2025

When they saw Arion, theyhacked up quickly and headed for the battle forklifts.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan