Elevator: meaning, definitions and examples

This term is most commonly used in American English to refer to a mechanical device that moves people or goods vertically between floors in a building.

• I took the elevator to the fifth floor.
• The elevator is out of order, so we need to use the stairs.

As mentioned above, in British English, it is commonly used to mean 'elevator'. However, it has a broader use to refer to raising anything upward.

• The lift stopped on the third floor.
• Please lift the table so I can put the rug under it.

This term is used to describe a device or piece of equipment used to lift heavy objects, often vertically. It is commonly used in industrial or construction contexts.

• They used a hoist to lift the steel beams into place.
• The workers had to hoist the machinery onto the platform.

In American English, 'elevator' is the common term used to describe a mechanical device that moves people or goods between floors of a building.

• Take the elevator to the fifth floor.
• The elevator is out of order.

In British English, 'lift' is the common term for the same device Americans call an 'elevator.' It is also used in general contexts to mean raising something to a higher position.

• Take the lift to the third floor.
• Could you lift that box for me?

A 'cage' typically refers to a structure of bars or wires used to confine or protect something. It can sometimes refer to an elevator in an industrial context, generally implying that it has an open framework. It can also carry a somewhat negative or foreboding connotation if used to describe a space one is confined in.

• The birds are kept in a cage.
• The old freight elevator looked like a metal cage.