elevator

noun

el·​e·​va·​tor ˈe-lə-ˌvā-tər 

1

: one that raises or lifts something up: such as

a

: an endless belt or chain conveyor with cleats, scoops, or buckets for raising material

b

: a cage or platform and its hoisting machinery for conveying people or things to different levels

c

: grain elevator

2

: a movable airfoil usually attached to the tailplane of an airplane for controlling pitch see airplane illustration

Examples of elevator in a Sentence

We took the elevator to the 10th floor.

Recent Examples on the Web

Accessibility The hotel is fully accessible with elevators to all floors and accessible rooms available. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026

Hot showers are a luxury in much of the city, elevators are best avoided, and frozen pipes have become a widespread flooding hazard. —Michael Holtz, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026

Residents in the apartment have complained about elevator failures, leaks, pest infestations, electrical problems, and delayed responses from maintenance, according to the council. —Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 5 Feb. 2026

According to officials, Parham followed this other woman into an elevator car, but after finding a third person already inside of it, Parham exited after riding up just one floor and then left the building. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing elevator

• elevator music
• grain elevator
• space elevator

Rhymes for elevator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Kids Definition

elevator

noun

el·​e·​va·​tor ˈel-ə-ˌvāt-ər 

1

a

: a continuous belt or chain conveyor for raising material

b

: a cage or platform and its hoisting machinery for carrying things or people to different levels

c

: a building for elevating, storing, unloading, and sometimes grinding grain

called also grain elevator

2

: a movable device shaped like a wing that is usually attached to the tail of an airplane for producing motion up or down

Medical Definition

elevator

noun

el·​e·​va·​tor ˈel-ə-ˌvāt-ər 

1

: a dental instrument for removing teeth or the roots of teeth which cannot be gripped with a forceps

2

: a surgical instrument for raising a depressed part (as a bone) or for separating contiguous parts