el·e·va·tor 
(ĕlə-vā′tər)
(ĕlə-vā′tər)n.
1.
a. A platform or an enclosure raised and lowered in a vertical shaft to transport people or freight.
b. The enclosure or platform with its operating equipment, motor, cables, and accessories.
2. A movable control surface, usually attached to the horizontal stabilizer of an aircraft, that is used to produce motion up or down.
3. A mechanism, often with buckets or scoops attached to a conveyor, used for hoisting materials.
4. See grain elevator.