forklift

American  

[fawrk-lift] / ˈfɔrkˌlɪft /

noun

1. Also called forklift truck,.  Also called fork truck.  a small vehicle with two power-operated prongs at the front that can be slid under heavy loads and then raised for moving and stacking materials in warehouses, shipping depots, etc.

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verb (used with object)

1. to move or stack by forklift.

Etymology

Origin of forklift

First recorded in 1940–45; fork + lift

Example Sentences

Elliott Investment Management has agreed to a sweetened bid for Toyota Industries that values the company at almost $40 billion, paving the way for the Japanese forklift maker to be taken private.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

It believes Toyota Motor’s offer to buy the forklift maker is too low.

From Barron's • Dec. 11, 2025

Without Cognex, your warehouse robot is just an expensive forklift that crashes into walls.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 12, 2025

As a forklift moved to lift the container, Bova, a former military officer, ran over.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025

Against the same wall as the office, but in the opposite corner of the barn, Margo has set up a kind of bed—four forklift pallets beneath an orange air mattress.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green