elevators

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   A machine in a building that carries people or goods up and down between floors.

   Grammar: This is the plural of 'elevator'; use 'elevator' for one, 'elevators' for two or more.

   Patterns

   • take the elevator
   • the elevators are out of order
   • an elevator to the fifth floor

   The building has four elevators, but only two were working this morning.

   In many old European buildings there are no elevators at all.

   We waited ten minutes for an elevator to reach the top floor.

2. 2nounpluraltechnical

   A moving belt or platform used to lift grain, coal, or other material in a factory or on a farm.

   Grammar: Countable; in this technical sense it usually appears in the plural when talking about equipment.

   Patterns

   • a grain elevator
   • bucket elevators

   The farm uses bucket elevators to move grain into the silos.

   Grain elevators along the railway line store wheat before shipping.

3. 3nounpluraltechnical

   A flap on the back of an aircraft's tail that controls whether the nose goes up or down.

   Grammar: Usually plural in this sense, because aircraft have two of them.

   Patterns

   • the elevators on the tail
   • move the elevators

   The pilot moved the elevators to lift the plane's nose.

   Damage to the elevators can make an aircraft hard to control.

Word forms

Common combinations

take the elevator

Let's take the elevator instead of the stairs.

elevator shaft

Smoke was rising up the elevator shaft.

elevator music

Soft elevator music played while we waited.

out of order

The elevators are out of order today.

Synonyms and how they differ

lift

The usual British word for the same machine; 'elevator' is standard in American English.

escalator

A moving staircase rather than a closed car, so it is a different machine.

Word family

elevate verb

to raise something to a higher level or position

elevation noun

height above sea level, or the act of raising something

Commonly confused: elevators or escalator?

Practice

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