1749, an article of furniture, from dumb (adj.) + waiter (apparently because it serves as a waiter but is silent). As a movable platform for passing dishes, etc., up and down from one room (especially a basement kitchen) to another, from 1847.
双语例句
1. British playwright whose works, including The Dumbwaiter ( 1957 ) and Birthday Party ( 1958 ), create an atmosphere of menace.
