ENGLISH
REFERENCE

elevator

n. countable
A1 Beginner US //ˈɛɫəˌveɪtɝ// UK //ˈɛlɪvˌeɪtɐ// el·e·va·tor Informal

n. a machine that carries people or things up and down between different floors of a building. You press a button to call it and wait for the doors to open.

n. a platform or compartment housed in a shaft for raising and lowering people or things to different levels. Primarily North American usage; the term 'lift' is preferred in British English.


SIMPLE

I took the elevator to the tenth floor.

CONTEXTUAL

The office building has four high-speed elevators to help employees reach their desks quickly during the morning rush.

COMPLEX

Modern skyscrapers rely on sophisticated elevator algorithms to minimize wait times and optimize the flow of thousands of occupants across dozens of floors.

Synonyms
Origin

From elevate + -or.

Usage

Commonly used with the verbs 'take', 'ride', or 'catch'.

Pitfall

I am waiting the elevatorI am waiting for the elevatorThe verb 'wait' requires the preposition 'for' before the object.

Idioms2 entries

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