Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
T-bar lift

T-bar lift

5.1
A ski lift with a T-shaped bar that pulls skiers or snowboarders uphill as they hold it
  • noun
  • /ˈtiːˌbɑːr lɪft/
translation icon : teleférico de barra T
  • We took the T-bar lift to the top of the mountain.

Examples

  • The old T-bar lift was replaced with a faster chairlift last season.

  • Learning to use the T-bar lift can be tricky for first-time skiers.

  • We took the T-bar lift to the top of the beginner slope.

  • The T-bar lifts were crowded during the holiday season.

  • Skiers love the convenience of the T-bar lift that pulls them smoothly uphill.

  • After a long day on the slopes, everyone appreciated the comfort of the T-bar lift ride back to the lodge.

  • The ski resort added a new T-bar lift to help beginners reach the top of the hill more easily.

Synonyms

ski lift
vsT-bar lift
  • UK
4 2.7

A machine with seats on a moving cable that carries skiers up a slope

is a surface version where riders stand and are pulled by a horizontal bar
T-bar
vsT-bar lift
1 7.7

A T-shaped bar that pulls skiers uphill

names the complete uphill transport system rather than only the pulling bar
Alpine lift
vsT-bar lift
5.5

A moving bar on a slope that pulls people up while they keep their skis or snowboard on

is the specific design that uses a horizontal support behind the hips
ski tow
vsT-bar lift
  • UK
3.6

A machine with a moving rope that pulls skiers up a slope

uses a rigid support riders lean against rather than a rope or cable

Surface Forms

T-bar lift singular
T-bar lifts plural

Morphology

T-bar + lift

The phrase is compositionally built: 'lift' clearly denotes a ski/mountain lift and 'T-bar' can be parsed as a T-shaped 'bar' (T + bar) indicating the type of support. A B1 learner who knows 'T' (shape), 'bar' (rod) and 'lift' can reasonably infer it is a ski lift that uses a T-shaped bar to pull skiers, so the meaning is transparently derivable from the parts.

Etymology

T-bar lift gets its name from the real T-shaped bar riders use: the metal bar looks like the letter T, and skiers hold the bar or rest it behind them while they are 'pulled uphill'. That's why the phrase refers to the ski lift that uses a T-shaped bar to move people up the slope.