elevator

American  

[el-uh-vay-ter] / ˈɛl əˌveɪ tər /

noun

• elevators
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• elevators
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of elevator

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

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Explanation

An elevator is a machine that carries passengers to higher and lower floors in a tall building. Even though you usually take the stairs to your apartment, when you're exhausted you might decide to take the elevator instead. Most elevators run on electricity, although in the 19th century the first elevators used steam power to move heavy goods in coal mines. Today, elevators are legally required in tall buildings, so that people who aren't able to climb stairs have access to all floors. In the 1640's, elevator meant "muscles used to raise the body," from the Latin elevator, "one who raises up."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elevator elevators

The renovation will include internal work, such as upgrades to the building's mechanical, elevator, electrical and air handling systems.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

Others perched on the wall surrounding the elevator exit of a closed-off metro station.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

Over time, some hotels allowed her to book a room or suite, so long as she used the service elevator and ate meals in her room.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

With a population of about 2,400, it could pass for any number of prairie towns: modest houses and churches, mostly boarded-up storefronts, and a grain elevator towering above everything.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

With a muffled ding the elevator doors slid open.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

If the HOA has a shortfall of funds or doesn’t properly maintain common areas such as elevators and swimming pools, the burden falls on all homeowners in the HOA to pay for repairs.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Airplanes, elevators and restaurants all have regulations to ensure their safe operation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

The allure of her physicality and personality seemed intertwined: She was often shown laughing or making others laugh, dressed stylishly, and was known to tap-dance spontaneously in elevators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

They also work at a low frequency and are able to penetrate buildings and elevators and particularly hospitals - which can have thickened walls to protect people from X-rays and other radiation.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

That might not sound like a long time, but it was enough to keep cars and trains from crashing, prevent people from being trapped in elevators, and give others time to scramble to cover.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

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Related Words

• escalator

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