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

There's something inherently quite frivolous about bundling onto a gondola for a tour of the city by water. —Sarah James, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026

Patt said there was a breeze at the time the gondola fell, but could not say how strong the winds were. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026

Madonna in her social media post is captured in a gondola on a grand canal in Venice, Italy, while reading a script. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026

The individual, whose identity was not disclosed, was the only person in the gondola, said police. —Reuters 22 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 18 Mar. 2026

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