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

Tourists enjoy a gondola ride in a canal in Venice, Italy, on June 22, 2025. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025

Top 5 Can’t Miss See Hong Kong from above by riding the gondola up to Ngong Ping village, home to the largest Buddha statue in the city. —Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 22 June 2025

There’s more nearby too: Santa’s Village is about 10 minutes away, Bretton Woods (summer gondola rides) is around the corner, famed Storyland is an easy, pretty half hour or so away, and North Conway is an easy day trip as well. —Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 22 June 2025

Explore the trails and gondola in Telluride and Mountain Village Courtesy of Visit Telluride/Ryan Bonneau The allure of Telluride begins with its dramatic scale. —Visit Telluride, AFAR Media, 18 June 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