elevator

American  

[el-uh-vey-ter] / ˈɛl əˌveɪ tər /

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.

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elevator British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of elevator

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

Example Sentences

Modern elevator advances give priority to smoother acceleration, energy efficiency and integration with autonomous robots.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Some are even exploring technology that might one day allow elevator cars to move not only vertically but horizontally, blurring the line between buildings and urban-transportation systems.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Over the next 175 years, the elevator drove the rise of the skyscraper, concentrating jobs and capital in dense urban cores, and reshaping how millions of people lived and worked.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Steel cables limit how far one elevator can safely travel, forcing riders to transfer between elevator banks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

My knees felt weak, and for a second I considered spinning on my heel and trotting back to the elevator.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

• escalator