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

Most ski-touring lodges are no-frills huts that cater to hardy mountaineers who’d balk at the idea of taking a gondola or a lift. —Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2026

At one point, the Phantom and Christine, the ingenue and the object of his obsession, glide toward you in a gondola, crossing an underground lake. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 3 Mar. 2026

Glacier Mountain Lodge, the resort’s official on-mountain accommodations, is just a few steps from the main gondola. —Jonny Bierman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026

At the base of Mount Annupuri, the hotel is perfectly positioned for guests to jump straight on a gondola and onto the slopes, with countless ski and snowboard trails, high-quality off-piste powder skiing, and scenic family-friendly routes through the forests. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Feb. 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