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

Upon exiting the elevator on the 10th floor, I was greeted by a vibrant common area, which is perfect for a change of scenery, or a place to hang while waiting on friends. —Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 9 Dec. 2025

The Pierre employs 550 members of the Local 6 Hotel, Restaurant & Club Employees & Bartenders Union, UNITE-HERE and approximately 150 other staffers including elevator operators and housekeeping personnel. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 9 Dec. 2025

Cooking dinner side by side in our kitchen, sharing a sleepy elevator ride with our neighbors in the evening, hearing music and laughter vibrate through the walls of the apartment. —Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025

The morning incident happened at Heathrow Airport’s parking garage when a group of four men stole a woman’s suitcase in an elevator and sprayed an irritant at her, the Metropolitan Police said. —Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 8 Dec. 2025

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