escalator

American  

[es-kuh-ley-ter] / ˈɛs kəˌleɪ tər /

noun

• escalators
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• escalators
  plural

Etymology

Origin of escalator

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

Explanation

An escalator is a motorized stairway that moves people up and down flights. When you get on an escalator, you can stand still and let it carry you. If you want to really annoy the people behind you, stand to the left on the escalator and block their passage. It's common for shopping malls, airports, and other large, public buildings to provide escalators as a way for people to get from one floor to another. An escalator works by moving a large belt of linked steps with a motor — each step seems to disappear as it moves parallel with the floor at your destination. In 1900, the Otis Elevator Company coined the word escalator, from escalade, "use ladders to scale a wall."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

escalator escalators

For herself one day, she hopes to enroll in an MTA training program for elevator and escalator maintenance that is funded by both the union and her employer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

When he announced his run for president in 2015, dramatically diverting the course of the American project, it was after a ride down a gold-mirrored escalator.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

Lovell is an escalator engineer from Hertfordshire and works for a company that has been responsible for installing, maintaining and upgrading the escalators at the national stadium.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

An escalator by the entrance will transport guests to the experiences below.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

I ride the escalator down to the central fountain, where today’s entertainment is face-painting.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

The most important visuals to get right were the giant skylight and the escalators climbing up from the mall’s center.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

But relief is finally a step closer thanks to plans to install escalators in the shopping centre between the railway station to Union Street.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

Kaner and Pena both said that a typical, 15,000-square-foot store without elevators or escalators costs under $10 million to build.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

Napoli recently served as Chairman and CEO of Schindler Group, a Swiss maker of elevators and escalators.

From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026

The theater was crowded, and when we came out we rode a set of escalators down to the ground floor.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates