escalator

[ es-kuh-ley-ter ]
/ ˈɛs kəˌleɪ tər /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR escalator ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Also called moving staircase, moving stairway. a continuously moving stairway on an endless loop for carrying passengers up or down.
a means of rising or descending, increasing or decreasing, etc., especially by stages: the social escalator.
escalator clause.

adjective

of, relating to, or included in an escalator clause: The union demands escalator protection of wages.

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Origin of escalator

1895–1900, Americanism; formerly a trademark; perhaps escal(ade) + (elev)ator

Words nearby escalator

escadrille, escadrille américaine, escalade, escalate, escalation, escalator, escalator clause, escallonia, escallop, escalope, escambia
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for escalator

British Dictionary definitions for escalator

escalator
/ (ˈɛskəˌleɪtə) /

noun

a moving staircase consisting of stair treads fixed to a conveyor belt, for transporting passengers between levels, esp between the floors of a building
short for escalator clause

Word Origin for escalator

C20: originally a trademark
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012