0 a small lift (= device used to move things from one level of a building to another) used especially in restaurants to bring food from the kitchen --
You see he is visiting me, and he had never seen a dumb waiter before.
We might have gas-light, you know, and all our food could be brought down on a dumb waiter.
Each had a dumb waiter and a little bell to call the servants when they were wanted.
