gondola

noun

gon·​do·​la

(usual for sense 1)

ˈgän-də-lə  gän-ˈdō- 

1

: a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice

2

a

: an elongated car attached to the underside of an airship

b

: an often spherical airtight enclosure suspended from a balloon for carrying passengers or instruments

c

: an enclosed car suspended from a cable and used for transporting passengers

especially : one used as a ski lift

3

: a heavy flat-bottomed boat used on New England rivers and on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers

4

: a railroad car with no top, a flat bottom, and fixed sides that is used chiefly for hauling heavy bulk commodities

Illustration of gondola

• gondola 1

Examples of gondola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Homidi custom designed the space and gondolas that her product range will be displayed in. —Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025

The outdoor adventures continue in summer with scenic gondola rides, hiking, mountain biking, ropes courses, and racing down the mountain on an alpine coaster. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2025

Six Senses Crans-Montana February 2023 saw the opening of the Six Senses, a 78-room ski-in, ski-out complex above the main gondola in Crans-Montana in Switzerland’s French-speaking Canton Valais. —Adam H. Graham, AFAR Media, 14 Oct. 2025

Expect a robust selection of spacious condominiums, luxury mountain chalets, and backcountry cabins, most of which are within walking distance from one of Snowmass or Aspen Mountain’s peak-reaching gondolas and ski resorts. —Will Porter, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian dialect (Venetian), probably from Middle Greek kontoura small vessel

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gondola

noun

gon·​do·​la ˈgän-də-lə ( 

usual for sense 1

) 

gän-ˈdō-

1

: a long narrow boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice

2

: a railroad car with low sides and no top used for hauling loose freight

3

: an enclosure that hangs from something: as

a

: the part of a balloon in which passengers or instruments are carried

b

: a car that hangs from a cable and is used especially as a lift for skiers