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 new facility will feature moving sidewalks, escalators and a central hub where the airport may eventually build a third concourse. — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Fear not, world leaders — the UN’s notorious escalator has been fixed in time for diplomacy’s biggest event of the year. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

To build it, workers excavated large chunks of the Judaean Hills and installed four steep escalators to steer passengers to the platforms below. — Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026

The cars spiral over and under portions of the park’s multilevel escalator, and include four launches, an inverted dive loop, twisted pretzel loop, an inverted stall and other thrills, reaching speed of 72 mph. — Carole Horst, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

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