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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Escalator \Es"ca*la'tor\, noun [NL. Cf. {Escalade}.] A stairway or incline arranged like an endless belt so that the steps or treads ascend or descend continuously, and one stepping upon it is carried up or down; -- originally a trade term, which has become the generic name for such devices. Such devices are in common use in large retail establishments such as department stores, and in public buildings having a heavy traffic of persons between adjacent floors. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
escalator
noun
1: a clause in a contract that provides for an increase or a decrease in wages or prices or benefits etc. depending on certain conditions (as a change in the cost of living index) [syn: {escalator clause}]
2: a stairway whose steps move continuously on a circulating belt [syn: {moving staircase}, {moving stairway}]
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