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

The movie birthed hundreds of action movies with the elevator pitch, Die Hard on a plane; Die Hard on the beach; Die Hard in a phone booth. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Lopez met with The Club’s HOA board to discuss safety concerns that homeowners said were caused by overcrowded units, such as a shaking elevator that dropped multiple floors and water leaking into hallways. — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026

The main entrance, restaurants, and public spaces are wheelchair-user accessible, and the elevators are spacious and speedy. — Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2026

At the time of his death, Garcia-Sanchez was hauling asbestos-containing materials from the ninth floor to lower levels using a freight elevator, the report said. — Kansas City Star, 23 July 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