dumbwaiter
noun
dumb·wait·er
ˈdəm-ˌwā-tər 
ˌdəm-ˈwā-
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
Examples of dumbwaiter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Altogether, the 7,000-square-foot property comprises six bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a gourmet chef’s kitchen with a dumbwaiter, a formal dining room, and a wine cellar.
—
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2023
Glitzy amenities include a 400-bottle wine cellar and dumbwaiter that stops on every level, plus a roof deck sporting a kitchen and barbecue setup, fire-pit, and glass railings that allow for sweeping views stretching the Malibu coastline to the Santa Monica Mountains.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2023
The food was homemade, cakes and pies on the third floor, Salisbury steak dinners on the second, all lowered by dumbwaiter to a round floor packed with diners.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2023
An adjacent scullery has been restored to its original glory, and features a walk-in Master-Bilt refrigerator, a freezer chest, and a dumbwaiter, and opens to a large, service dining room built to service an estate.
—Curbed, 23 May 2023
As for the dumbwaiter, that was created on set.
—Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 3 Nov. 2022
What exactly is a dumbwaiter?
—Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, 18 Oct. 2022
Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda, had been given a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and was periodically checked in and out of Highland Hospital in Asheville; in 1948, she was trapped on the top floor of the hospital when a kitchen fire spread through a dumbwaiter shaft, killing her and eight other women.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
There’s a dumbwaiter to hoist his baked goods to the sales floor.
—Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 7 Nov. 2020
See More
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Oct. 2023
Glitzy amenities include a 400-bottle wine cellar and dumbwaiter that stops on every level, plus a roof deck sporting a kitchen and barbecue setup, fire-pit, and glass railings that allow for sweeping views stretching the Malibu coastline to the Santa Monica Mountains.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2023
The food was homemade, cakes and pies on the third floor, Salisbury steak dinners on the second, all lowered by dumbwaiter to a round floor packed with diners.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2023
An adjacent scullery has been restored to its original glory, and features a walk-in Master-Bilt refrigerator, a freezer chest, and a dumbwaiter, and opens to a large, service dining room built to service an estate.
—Curbed, 23 May 2023
As for the dumbwaiter, that was created on set.
—Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 3 Nov. 2022
What exactly is a dumbwaiter?
—Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, 18 Oct. 2022
Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda, had been given a diagnosis of schizophrenia, and was periodically checked in and out of Highland Hospital in Asheville; in 1948, she was trapped on the top floor of the hospital when a kitchen fire spread through a dumbwaiter shaft, killing her and eight other women.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 30 May 2022
There’s a dumbwaiter to hoist his baked goods to the sales floor.
—Jacques Kelly, baltimoresun.com, 7 Nov. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dumbwaiter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1737, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near dumbwaiter
Cite this Entry
“Dumbwaiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumbwaiter. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
dumbwaiter
noun
dumb·wait·er
ˈdəm-ˈwāt-ər
: a small elevator for carrying food or goods from one story to another
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