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

The lake, surrounded by tall peaks, fills up the back window of the gondola. —Will McGough, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

Even if the revisions are approved, the delay could jeopardize the potential for the gondola to be up and running by the 2028 Olympic Games, in which baseball will be played at Dodger Stadium. —Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025

Several reports in Italian and international media suggested that Bezos' wedding organizers had already booked rooms at Venice's main luxury hotels and reserved for a few days in late June large numbers of gondolas and water taxis. —Arkansas Online, 30 Mar. 2025

The biggest thing on the immediate horizon (in addition to the new 2-stage gondola) is the impending debut of the world’s first ski hotel from top tier luxury operator One & Only, which currently has a dozen Forbes 4 and 5-Star properties from South Africa to Dubai to Mexico. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 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