dumbwaiter

American  

[duhm-wey-ter] / ˈdʌmˌweɪ tər /

noun

1. a small elevator, manually or electrically operated, consisting typically of a box with shelves, used in apartment houses, restaurants, and large private dwellings for moving dishes, food, garbage, etc., between floors.

2. British.

   1. an auxiliary serving table.

   2. a serving stand with tiers of revolving shelves.

   3. a serving cart.

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dumbwaiter British  

/ ˈdʌmˌweɪtə /

noun

1. 1. a stand placed near a dining table to hold food

   2. US and Canadian name: lazy Susan.  a revolving circular tray placed on a table to hold food

2. a lift for carrying food, rubbish, etc, between floors

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Etymology

Origin of dumbwaiter

First recorded in 1745–55; dumb + waiter

Example Sentences

Joshua Shaw, a 27-year-old carpenter with Mavid Construction, died in June after he was struck by a dumbwaiter car while working inside one of the football stadium’s video scoreboards, WLUK-TV reported Tuesday.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 29, 2023

It's a dumbwaiter that was designed to carry these heavy glass plates.

From Scientific American • Jun. 22, 2023

He also tinkered with a way of improving a dumbwaiter, the elevator typically used to deliver food and other goods from one floor to another.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2022

When the pair inexplicably start getting very specific food requests via a dumbwaiter, the job suddenly changes.

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2021

Francie and Neeley went down into the cellar each evening and emptied the dumbwaiter shelves of the day’s accumulated trash.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

• escalator