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

Swansea Crown Court heard Thomas Ashford, 35, Stewart Jones, 56, and Richard Jones, 29, worked in security and forklift driver roles on the site.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

Shearn and a team of about 15 modeled the astronaut around the shape of a forklift and constructed its wire frame in their L.A. studio.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

Executives including Liaw allegedly corresponded about bringing in 100 people, including forklift operators, and arranging meals and a 20-person shuttle bus to help stage dummy servers in warehouses before auditors came through.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 21, 2026

Elliott Investment Management reiterated its opposition to a revised tender offer for Toyota Industries, saying the deal substantially undervalues the Japanese forklift maker and a stand-alone plan offers a path to a much higher valuation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 19, 2026

The bulldozer hauled up a final mound of dirt and then puttered away to make room for the forklift.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

Eventually, all these materials wind up at one of four baling machines that compress them into giant blocks, which then get moved around the facility’s storage area by crew-operated forklifts.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

But we have electric forklifts; we have electric hostlers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 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

Standing guard along either side were dozens of forklifts modified for war.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan