dumbwaiter

American  

[duhm-wey-ter] / ˈdʌmˌweɪ tər /

noun

1. a small elevator, manually or electrically operated, consisting typically of a box with shelves, used in apartment houses, restaurants, and large private dwellings for moving dishes, food, garbage, etc., between floors.

2. British.

   1. an auxiliary serving table.

   2. a serving stand with tiers of revolving shelves.

   3. a serving cart.

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dumbwaiter British  

/ ˈdʌmˌweɪtə /

noun

1. 1. a stand placed near a dining table to hold food

   2. US and Canadian name: lazy Susan.  a revolving circular tray placed on a table to hold food

2. a lift for carrying food, rubbish, etc, between floors

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Etymology

Origin of dumbwaiter

First recorded in 1745–55; dumb + waiter

Example Sentences

According to OSHA, the companies’ employees and subcontractors were exposed to “pinch-point hazards” associated with the dumbwaiter and didn’t ensure employees and contractors were qualified to operate the device.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 29, 2023

It's a dumbwaiter that was designed to carry these heavy glass plates.

From Scientific American • Jun. 22, 2023

And yet when I finally, as an adult, had a dumbwaiter shaft in my old, rented house, I found it scary, drafty.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2022

Decorated in what she describes as a Parisian style, the roughly 130-year-old unit has vintage features including a 25-foot-long hallway, pocket doors and a butler’s pantry with a dumbwaiter.

From New York Times • Jun. 14, 2022

Francie and Neeley went down into the cellar each evening and emptied the dumbwaiter shelves of the day’s accumulated trash.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

• escalator