English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com

escalator

The origin and history of escalator.

Etymology

Coined around 1900 from Latin ē- ("out of") plus scala ("ladder") plus the agent suffix -tor — originally a trademark for the moving-stair device before becoming a generic word.

Origin: Latin · First attested 1900

Class of 1900

escalator first entered the language around 1900. Other words from the same year:

See the full Class of 1900 →
← Back to the full definition of escalator
Etymology: FreeDict original editorial.