a small elevator, manually or electrically operated, consisting typically of a box with shelves, used in apartment houses, restaurants, and large private dwellings for moving dishes, food, garbage, etc., between floors.
Her favorite was a chimney with a false back, behind which a dumbwaiter could be raised or lowered with the yank of a lever.
She rides a motorcycle to work, decorates her loft with a moose head, and rides up and down a dumbwaiter to get to her apartment.
No sooner does he become absorbed in his writing than the dumbwaiter rings.
The inspector will ensure that each elevator or dumbwaiter is operating at the completion of the inspection for that elevator.
Temporarily dormant elevator, temporarily dormant dumbwaiter, or temporarily dormant escalator.
The back service stairs have been demolished in preparation for framing and installing the new dumbwaiter.
British Dictionary definitions for dumbwaiter
dumbwaiter
/ˈdʌmˌweɪtə/
noun
1.
(Brit)
a stand placed near a dining table to hold food
a revolving circular tray placed on a table to hold food US and Canadian name lazy Susan
2.
a lift for carrying food, rubbish, etc, between floors
Word Origin and History for dumbwaiter
n.
1749, an article of furniture, from dumb (adj.) + waiter (apparently because it serves as a waiter but is silent). As a movable platform for passing dishes, etc., up and down from one room (especially a basement kitchen) to another, from 1847.