- a moving staircase consisting of stair treads fixed to a conveyor belt, for transporting passengers between levels, esp between the floors of a building
- short for escalator clause
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
es•ca•la•tor /ˈɛskəˌleɪtɚ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a continuously moving stairway on an endless loop for carrying passengers up or down.
es•ca•la•tor
(es′kə lā′tər),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
- Also called moving staircase, moving stairway. a continuously moving stairway on an endless loop for carrying passengers up or down.
- a means of rising or descending, increasing or decreasing, etc., esp. by stages:the social escalator.
- BusinessSee escalator clause.
adj.
- Businessof, pertaining to, or included in an escalator clause:The union demands escalator protection of wages.
- 1895–1900, American; formerly a trademark; perh. escal(ade) + (elev)ator
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
escalator /ˈɛskəˌleɪtə/ n
'escalator' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):