dumbwaiter

noun dumb·wait·er \ ˈdəm-ˌwā-tər , ˌdəm-ˈ \

|Updated on: 20 Jun 2018

Definition of dumbwaiter

1 : a portable serving table or stand

2 : a small elevator used for conveying food and dishes from one story of a building to another

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Recent Examples of dumbwaiter from the Web

Each of the three floors has a private elevator landing with a connecting dumbwaiter, allowing the Matlin family and their guests to easily transport food, towels and other items between floors.

— vivian marino, New York Times, "A SoHo Triplex on the Market for $65 Million," 14 June 2018
At Lechner’s Gourmet Restaurant, where the kitchen was on the third floor and orders were sent down on dumbwaiters.

— devra first, BostonGlobe.com, "Strip-T’s in Watertown is closing, and with it goes a little piece of the restaurant scene’s soul," 14 May 2018
My favorite is the mansion’s kitchen, with its gleaming modern steel cabinets and appliances, delicate porcelain cups and the dumbwaiter used to transport it all to Mrs. Post’s dinner parties.

— the new york times, New York Times, "The Museums Times Reporters Like to Visit on Their Days Off," 13 Mar. 2018
Chili dogs and liverwurst sandwiches magically appear from a small door that conceals New York’s oldest dumbwaiter, a once-common element of restaurant design that needs to needs to come back on trend post-haste.

— daniel arnold, Bon Appetit, "This Bar Has the Oldest, Grandest Urinals In New York City," 10 Oct. 2017
The Watsons also made the oversized dumbwaiter to move heavy items upstairs and down.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "This modern Grand Isle fishing camp is built to withstand a category 5 storm," 16 Aug. 2017
The abundant perks — in G.E.’s case, two helicopter pads, a shoeshine station and an executive dining room linked to the kitchen below by dumbwaiters — fed the sense of exalted status.

— nelson d. schwartz, New York Times, "The Decline of the Baronial C.E.O.," 17 June 2017
Is a dumbwaiter at a Dim Sum restaurant called a Dim-Dum?

— david jerome, Orange County Register, "Mr. Bucketlist: Scattered thoughts for your April Fool’s Day," 29 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dumbwaiter.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of dumbwaiter

1737

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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DUMBWAITER Defined for English Language Learners

dumbwaiter

noun

Definition of dumbwaiter for English Language Learners

: a small elevator for carrying food or goods from one floor of a building to another

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