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
Are the gee-whiz tech innovations still relevant like the electric light bulb or the elevator were?
—
Matt Shaw, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
After years of battling intimidation, threats and even a poisoning, she was assassinated outside the elevator of her Moscow apartment in 2005.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 May 2025
Surveillance footage from inside the building’s elevator recorded hours before the shooting shows the gunman unmasked, but wearing the same outfit as the killer, prosecutors say.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025
Close to 40 staff members are required to map out and track a celebrity’s path from their room to the elevator, down through the lobby and out into their respective black car.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for elevator
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Matt Shaw, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
After years of battling intimidation, threats and even a poisoning, she was assassinated outside the elevator of her Moscow apartment in 2005.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 2 May 2025
Surveillance footage from inside the building’s elevator recorded hours before the shooting shows the gunman unmasked, but wearing the same outfit as the killer, prosecutors say.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025
Close to 40 staff members are required to map out and track a celebrity’s path from their room to the elevator, down through the lobby and out into their respective black car.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for elevator
Cite this Entry
“Elevator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elevator. Accessed 17 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share