What does "lifting" mean?

Lifting: Used in, or for, or by, lifting. Lifting bridge, a lift bridge. -- Lifting jack. See 2d Jack, 5. -- Lifting machine. See Health lift, under Health. -- Lifting pump. (Mach.) (a) A kind of pump having a bucket, or valved piston, instead of a solid piston, for drawing water and lifting it to a high level. (b) A pump which lifts the water only to the top of the pump, or delivers it through a spout; a lift pump. -- Lifting rod, a vertical rod lifted by a rock shaft, and imparting motion to a puppet valve; -- used in the engines of river steamboats. -- Lifting sail (Naut.), one which tends to lift a vessel's bow out of water, as jibs and square foresails.