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

Ms McLaughlin said that "officers repeatedly told the crowd of agitators and journalists to get back, move, and get out of the elevator".

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It is the roads, the cars, the Muzak in the elevators.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And a 24/7 livestream of the alligator plays on screens around the office, including at every elevator bank.

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I had to take all these bags into the elevator, so I left my car out with the door open, engine on and keys in the car so I could take up my shopping.

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Emergency workers were called to 286 buildings to free people trapped inside elevators in the Madrid region and hospitals implemented emergency plans, halting routine procedures.

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Related Words

• escalator