stairs and lifts

stairway

stair·way [stairway stairways]   [ˈsteəweɪ]    [ˈsterweɪ]  noun

a set of stairs inside or outside a building

elevator

ele·va·tor [elevator elevators]   [ˈelɪveɪtə(r)]    [ˈelɪveɪtər]  noun

1. (NAmE) (BrE lift) a machine that carries people or goods up and down to different levels in a building or a mine

• It's on the fifth floor, so we'd better take the elevator.

2. a place for storing large quantities of grain

3. a part in the tail of an aircraft that is moved to make it go up and down

See also: lift 

Word Origin:

mid 17th cent. (denoting a muscle): modern Latin, from Latin elevare ‘raise’; in later use directly from elevate.

Example Bank:

• He rode the elevator to the 43rd floor.

• One guy fell down the elevator shaft.

• The agents in the station sent the checked baggage down stairs on a freight elevator.

• The elevator dinged and the door opened.

• The elevator doors closed behind her.

• We took a creaky old elevator up to the third floor.

• York pressed the button to call the elevator.