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
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
But what the report does not say is that city officials identified the elevators as needing to be upgraded more than 10 years ago.
—
Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2025
To reach the elevator to the seventh floor, kids and parents pass through an unadorned space where the church distributes items from its food pantry.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025
That meant Lawrence, 32, a quadriplegic actor and wheelchair user, and her friend, who also uses a wheelchair, could not use the elevators.
—Esme Mazzeo, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
Because isn’t that what effectively happens to an innie who will never again awaken in a sterile elevator?
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for elevator 
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Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2025
To reach the elevator to the seventh floor, kids and parents pass through an unadorned space where the church distributes items from its food pantry.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025
That meant Lawrence, 32, a quadriplegic actor and wheelchair user, and her friend, who also uses a wheelchair, could not use the elevators.
—Esme Mazzeo, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
Because isn’t that what effectively happens to an innie who will never again awaken in a sterile elevator?
—Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for elevator
Dictionary Entries Near elevator
Cite this Entry
“Elevator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elevator. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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