escalator

American  

[es-kuh-ley-ter] / ˈɛs kəˌleɪ tər /

noun

1. a continuously moving staircase on an endless loop for carrying passengers up or down.

2. a means of rising or descending, increasing or decreasing, etc., especially by stages.

   the social escalator.

3. escalator clause.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or included in an escalator clause.

   The union demands escalator protection of wages.

escalator British  

/ ˈɛskəˌleɪtə /

noun

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

2. short for escalator clause

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Etymology

Origin of escalator

An Americanism first recorded in 1895–1900; formerly a trademark; perhaps escal(ade) + (elev)ator

Example Sentences

During a family vacation in Germany, she ended up at a hospital after toppling down an escalator.

From The Wall Street Journal

When Louis Vuitton opened a large flagship on the Champs-Élysées 20 years ago, there was genuine shock that a luxury store would even have an escalator.

From The Wall Street Journal

General Assembly—here depicted as a collection of babies—about the building’s escalator malfunctioning.

From The Wall Street Journal

“When you get to the bottom of an escalator, if you stop there and stand and look around, everybody’s coming down behind you. So you got to keep moving.”

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s like comparing a roller coaster to an escalator.

From The Wall Street Journal