forklift

American  

[fawrk-lift] / ˈfɔrkˌlɪft /

noun

• forklifts
  plural

1. Also called forklift truck,.  Also called fork truck.  a small vehicle with two power-operated prongs at the front that can be slid under heavy loads and then raised for moving and stacking materials in warehouses, shipping depots, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to move or stack by forklift.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• forklifts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of forklift

First recorded in 1940–45; fork + lift

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forklift forklifts

Back in Germany, forklift truck manufacturer Jungheinrich is losing customers to Chinese competitors in Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Costco staffers are compensated far above the retail industry average, and the company’s CEO, Ron Vachris, started on the warehouse floor as a forklift operator.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

The ingots were loaded into the van by cast house supervisor Ashford, using a forklift, before being driven off-site by Membury.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Some of the employees still work there, including Jorge Cuervo, the production supervisor, and Fabian Diaz, who mans the forklift.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2026

They crossed a lane of forklift traffic, navigated a maze of conveyor belts, and ducked under a row of robotic arms that were packing up boxes.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

The native Ohioan said she had so far only seen "a lot of forklifts unloading trucks. If I am online and I see...a commotion and a fanfare, I will probably come back."

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Toyota Industries, from which Toyota Motor was spun off in 1937, produces forklifts, cars, engines, other auto parts and textile machinery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

He spent time in Iowa, Michigan, and most memorably, Alaska, where he operated cranes, forklifts, and anchored vessels as a dock worker at Pacific Star Seafoods.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2025

They might have, say, six electric forklifts but a grid connection only large enough for charging ports to supply two or three of the forklifts.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025

I often leaned on the window sill and watched the huge garage doors groaning up and down, the forklifts whizzing in and out with pallets stacked with crates of delicious fizzy drinks.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago