What does "elevator" mean?
Anything that raises or uplifts.
Elevator
/ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Anything that raises or uplifts.
- Grammar: elevator is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: lift, aeroplane, airplane, crib.
- Useful contrasts: aileron, chairlift, escalators.
- Usage evidence: We went up and down by elevator.
How to use "elevator"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "elevator" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "elevator" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "elevator" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "elevator" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "elevator" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "lift" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "elevator", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Anything that raises or uplifts.
"And then the foaming flagons raised on high, with that best of all beverages, that elevator of spirits, that foaming sunshine, that grand and glorious brew of ale."
- 2 lifting device consisting of a platform or cage that is raised and lowered mechanically in a vertical shaft in order to move people from one floor to another in a building wordnet
- 3 A permanent construction with a built-in platform or cab that can be raised and lowered, used to transport people and goods, as between different floors of a building. Australia, Canada, Philippines, US
- 4 the airfoil on the tailplane of an aircraft that makes it ascend or descend wordnet
- 5 A silo used for storing wheat, corn or other grain (grain elevator).
"The harvest is now in full swing in the Great Plains and efforts are being made to rush the grain from the fields to the country elevators and then to the large terminals, such as Kansas City, Houston, Galveston and New Orleans."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A control surface of an aircraft responsible for controlling the pitching motion of the machine.
- 7 A dental instrument used to pry up ("elevate") teeth in difficult extractions, or depressed portions of bone.
- 8 Any muscle that serves to raise a part of the body, such as the leg or the eye.
- 9 A type of shoe having an insert lift to make the wearer appear taller.
Verb
- 1 To move in an elevator. informal, intransitive
"He elevatored up to the third floor."
Antonyms
Example
"We went up and down by elevator."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "elevator"?
Common synonyms include: lift, aeroplane, airplane, crib, dumbwaiter, garner.
How do you use "elevator" in a sentence?
We went up and down by elevator.
How do you pronounce "elevator"?
Pronounced /ˈɛləˌveɪtɚ/.
Etymology
From elevate + -or.