gondola

noun

gon·​do·​la ˈgän-də-lə 

(usual for sense 1)

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

The resort's ski area is spread across three different peaks—West Mountain, East Mountain, and Mount Isola—with four gondolas, 14 lifts, and 37 runs that range from beginner to expert. —Selena Takigawa Hoy, Travel + Leisure, 13 Nov. 2025

Sunshine Village is located at the top of the gondola at 7,200 feet above sea level. —Stephanie Stephens, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025

The town will transfer the money to the San Miguel Authority for Regional Transportation to help replace the existing gondola and maintain the new one. —Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025

Consider spending an afternoon at the hot spring–fed tubs at David Walley’s Resort, following the South Lake Tahoe Beer Trail, going for a scenic drive around the lake, taking a snowshoe or cross-country skiing class, or soaking up mountain views from the comfort of a gondola. —Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 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