forklift

American  

[fawrk-lift] / ˈfɔrkˌlɪft /

noun

• forklifts
  plural

1. Also called forklift truck, 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

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Etymology

Origin of forklift

First recorded in 1940–45; fork + lift

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forklift forklifts

On a Saturday in late September 2025, the 40-year-old mother of four was loading crates of grapes onto a forklift in a Fresno County field.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

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

In response, Jungheinrich last year unveiled a strategic partnership with Chinese forklift maker EP Equipment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Inside a factory alongside Interstate 5 in the San Joaquin Valley, a forklift delivered a stack of precut lumber to two waiting carpenters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

One of my father’s sons would be driving the forklift for the rest of his life, but it wouldn’t be Richard.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

A procession of trucks and forklifts has been outside the arena for several days, while police and National Guard troops have a visibly increased presence at the landmark.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

But around the world it is used to make plastics, heat households, power equipment such as forklifts and in some places even fuel automobiles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 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

They might have, say, six electric forklifts but a grid connection only large enough for charging ports to supply two or three of the forklifts.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025

Standing guard along either side were dozens of forklifts modified for war.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

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