elevator

noun

(Canada, US, Australia, Philippines) 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.

Anything that raises or uplifts.

A silo used for storing wheat, corn or other grain (grain elevator).

(aeronautics) A control surface of an aircraft responsible for controlling the pitching motion of the machine.

A dental instrument used to pry up ("elevate") teeth in difficult extractions, or depressed portions of bone.

(anatomy) Any muscle that serves to raise a part of the body, such as the leg or the eye.

A type of shoe having an insert lift to make the wearer appear taller.

verb

(informal, intransitive) To move in an elevator.

Roots

levolev- · Latin · lighten, raise

Synonyms & related words for elevator

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Words related to elevator

Explore words related to elevator — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include lift, dumbwaiter, escalator, stairwell, stairs, hoister, staircase, stairway. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does elevator come from?

The word elevator breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root lev-, from Latin levo (“lighten, raise”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.