elevator

Etymology

elevate + -or

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. 1902, Life, volume 39, page 559
   Bulk loading of grain in progress from road to rail at Biggleswade using a portable elevator. 1962 May, “Talking of Trains: Portable grain elevators at E.R. stations”, in Modern Railways, page 302, photo caption
2. (Canada, US, Australia) 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.
3. 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. 1964-06-16, “Surprise Strike Stops Traffic On 6 Railroads”, in The Indianapolis Star, volume 62, number 11, Indianapolis, Ind., page 3
4. (aeronautics) A control surface of an aircraft responsible for controlling the pitching motion of the machine.
5. A dental instrument used to pry up ("elevate") teeth in difficult extractions, or depressed portions of bone.
6. (anatomy) Any muscle that serves to raise a part of the body, such as the leg or the eye.
7. A type of shoe having an insert lift to make the wearer appear taller.

verb

1. (informal, intransitive) To move in an elevator.
   He elevatored up to the third floor.