elevator

[el-uh-vey-ter] /ˈɛl əˌveɪ tər/
noun
1.
a person or thing that elevates or raises.
2.
a moving platform or cage for carrying passengers or freight from one level to another, as in a building.
3.
any of various mechanical devices for raising objects or materials.
4.
a building in which grain is stored and handled by means of mechanical elevator and conveyor devices.
5.
Aeronautics. a hinged horizontal surface on an airplane or the like, used to control the longitudinal inclination and usually placed at the tail end of the fuselage.
6.
elevator shoe.
Origin
1640-50; < Late Latin ēlevātor, equivalent to ēlevā(re) (see elevate) + -tor -tor
Examples from the web for elevator
  • When the elevator arrives, it whisks you and the group directly to your floors.
  • We're all quiet and shy in an elevator with other people.
  • elevator installation is a mature business, yet change is under way as office space and energy get pricey.
  • Being stuck in an elevator is never fun, but by and large when riding in one that's the biggest inconvenience you can expect.
  • Although there is an elevator to the entrance, once you are in the homes you must use stairs to visit each level.
  • It's basically a revolving elevator into which the cars are driven and stored.
  • The full rent should include elevator use, and that will not be provided at this time.
  • Take the elevator inside to the top, for a fine view of the port.
  • Wouldn't it be more practical to put this idea in league w/ the space elevator.
  • Santana fled the apartment, the police said, and took an elevator to the ground floor.
British Dictionary definitions for elevator

elevator

/ˈɛlɪˌveɪtə/
noun
1.
a person or thing that elevates
2.
(mainly US) a mechanical hoist for raising something, esp grain or coal, often consisting of a chain of scoops linked together on a conveyor belt
3.
(mainly US & Canadian) a platform, compartment, or cage raised or lowered in a vertical shaft to transport persons or goods in a building Also called (in Britain and certain other countries) lift
4.
(mainly US & Canadian) a large granary equipped with an elevator and, usually, facilities for cleaning and grading the grain
5.
any muscle that raises a part of the body
6.
a surgical instrument for lifting a part of the body
7.
a control surface on the tailplane of an aircraft, for making it climb or descend
Word Origin and History for elevator
n.

1640s, originally of muscles, from Latin elevator, agent noun from past participle stem of elevare (see elevate). As a name for a mechanical lift (originally for grain) attested from 1787. Elevator music is attested by 1963. Elevator as a lift for shoes is from 1940.

elevator in Medicine

elevator el·e·va·tor (ěl'ə-vā'tər)
n.

  1. A surgical instrument used to elevate tissues or to raise a sunken part, such as a depressed fragment of bone.

  2. A dental instrument used to remove teeth or parts of teeth that cannot be gripped with a forceps or to loosen teeth and roots before using forceps.