escalator

1 of 2

noun

es·​ca·​la·​tor ˈe-skə-ˌlā-tər 

nonstandard

-skyə- 

1

a

: a power-driven set of stairs arranged like an endless belt that ascend or descend continuously

b

: an upward course suggestive of an escalator

a never-stopping escalator of economic progress

—D. W. Brogan

2

: an escalator clause or provision

escalator

2 of 2

adjective

: providing for a periodic proportional upward or downward adjustment (as of prices or wages)

an escalator arrangement tying the base pay … to living costs

—New York Times

Examples of escalator in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The First Lady then started walking up the stationary escalator. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025

Just seconds after the president climbed aboard the escalator at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, the mechanism abruptly stopped working. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 23 Sep. 2025

Made of concrete, steel and glass, the building had escalators in the lobby to carry people to the first couple of floors. —Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025

But the airport is in the middle of a massive $9 billion modernization effort that includes fixing or replacing hundreds of escalators, elevators and walkways. —Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from Escalator, a trademark

First Known Use

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for escalator

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

Kids Definition

escalator

noun

es·​ca·​la·​tor

ˈes-kə-ˌlāt-ər

: a moving set of stairs arranged like a continuous belt