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

Emami also put forward the idea of supporting ATN with a fee tacked onto Uber or Lyft rides and whatever transportation technology is used to connect the Platinum Triangle to the resort area, such as gondolas or autonomous vehicles. —Michael Slaten, Oc Register, 6 Sep. 2025

In the gondola on the way back down the mountain to Telluride, Cannes Film Festival topper Thierry Frémaux hops on at the halfway station. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025

In addition to that, Scruton’s team built a gondola that needed to float down the canal. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025

Free concerts on Wednesdays and Fridays in Mountain Village, which is just a short gondola ride away, keep the vibes rolling through the summer before the season concludes with the incomparable Telluride Blues & Brews Festival in September. —Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 1 Sep. 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