surface lift
- noun
- Specialized
:
telesilla
- The beginner slope has a surface lift that's easy for new skiers to use.
- chair and surface lift
- double surface lift
Examples
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The hill features several surface lifts that pull skiers up without raising them off the ground.
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Children often prefer the surface lift because it moves slowly up the gentle hill.
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Many ski resorts have replaced old surface lifts with chairlifts for added comfort.
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The surface lift is perfect for beginners.
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Many surface lifts are available at the ski resort.
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The ski resort has seven surface lifts that help skiers access the slopes easily.
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To reach the beginner area, we used one of the four surface lifts available.
Synonyms
123
1.9
A machine that carries people or goods between floors
4
2.7
A machine with seats on a moving cable that carries skiers up a slope
1
5.4
A ski lift with a moving rope that skiers hold onto to be pulled uphill
A moving bar on a slope that pulls people up while they keep their skis or snowboard on
A machine with a moving rope that pulls skiers up a slope
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositional: 'surface' (on the ground/top layer) combined with 'lift' (a device that raises or pulls) clearly describes a lift that operates at ground level. A B1 learner who knows both words and the skiing context can infer that it is a type of ski tow that does not lift skiers off the ground, so the meaning is transparent.
Etymology
The noun surface lift comes from the simple picture of early ski tows that pulled skiers while their skis stayed on the surface of the snow, so the lift moved them along the ground rather than up into the air. That's why surface lift means 'a tow that pulls skiers up a slope without lifting them off the ground'.