elevator

[el-uh-vey-ter]

noun

1. a person or thing that elevates or raises.

2. a moving platform or cage for carrying passengers or freight from one level to another, as in a building.

3. any of various mechanical devices for raising objects or materials.

4. a building in which grain is stored and handled by means of mechanical elevator and conveyor devices.

5. Aeronautics.,  a hinged horizontal surface on an airplane or the like, used to control the longitudinal inclination and usually placed at the tail end of the fuselage.

6. elevator shoe.

elevator

/ ˈɛlɪˌveɪtə /

noun

1. a person or thing that elevates

2. a mechanical hoist for raising something, esp grain or coal, often consisting of a chain of scoops linked together on a conveyor belt

3. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): lift. a platform, compartment, or cage raised or lowered in a vertical shaft to transport persons or goods in a building

4. a large granary equipped with an elevator and, usually, facilities for cleaning and grading the grain

5. any muscle that raises a part of the body

6. a surgical instrument for lifting a part of the body

7. a control surface on the tailplane of an aircraft, for making it climb or descend

Word History and Origins

Origin of elevator¹

1640–50; < Late Latin ēlevātor, equivalent to ēlevā ( re ) ( elevate ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

It added: “This condition, if not corrected, could lead in the worst-case scenario to an uncommanded elevator movement that may result in exceeding the aircraft’s structural capability.”

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Chin hustled back to find that his building hadn’t yet caught fire—so he took the elevator up to fetch what he could.

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“Every time the elevator opened … there were people standing there, leaning against the wall, sobbing. And I mean openly sobbing.”

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Other amenities include a home theater, sauna, elevator, billiard room, and chef’s kitchen.

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A simple analogy is people packed into a crowded elevator: the moment the door opens, they hurry to escape.

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Related Words

• escalator