Meaning & use
escalators
Last updated
“escalators” is a form of “escalator”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Moving staircases that carry people automatically between the floors of a building or station.
Grammar: Plural of escalator, which is countable: one escalator, two escalators.
Patterns
- take the escalators
- the escalators to something
The escalators at the station stopped during the power cut.
We took the escalators up to the food court on the top floor.
Children should hold a hand on the escalators and stand away from the edge.
Word forms
| singular | escalator |
|---|
Common combinations
- ride the escalators
- The kids loved to ride the escalators in the mall.
- escalators and elevators
- Escalators and elevators connect all six floors.
- out-of-order escalators
- Out-of-order escalators forced everyone to use the stairs.
- moving escalators
- The moving escalators were crowded at rush hour.
- escalators up to
- Two escalators up to the gallery are at the back of the hall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- moving staircases
- This is a descriptive phrase, while escalators is the everyday single word for the same machines.
- elevators
- Elevators are enclosed boxes that lift people, whereas escalators are open stairs that move continuously.
- lifts
- Lifts is the British word for elevators and is not a moving staircase.
Word family
- escalator noun
- one moving staircase
- escalate verb
- to rise or grow quickly in level or intensity
- escalation noun
- a rapid increase
- travelator noun
- a flat moving walkway
Commonly confused: escalators or elevators?
escalators vs elevators
Elevators lift people in a closed car, while escalators are stairs that move. People say take the elevator but ride the escalator.
Practice
We could not use the ______ because the steps were being repaired, so we walked up the stairs.
Choose one answer.
Escalators have steps that can be repaired, and walking up stairs is the alternative. Elevators have no steps, and corridors and balconies do not carry people between floors.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “escalators”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.