pergola

noun

per·​go·​la ˈpər-gə-lə  pər-ˈgō- 

1

: arbor, trellis

2

: a structure usually consisting of parallel colonnades supporting an open roof of girders and cross rafters

Examples of pergola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But at the same time, a pergola doesn’t go overboard and verge into looking like an immutably permanent outdoor structure, like a gazebo sometimes can. —Melissa Minton, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026

The Royal Breakfast Room, where the Queen and Prince Philip would dine privately, is hung with magnificent Flemish tapestries, woven around 1650, featuring a beautiful design of a pergola framing an ornate vase filled with flowers. —Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 7 Mar. 2026

Instead of just a standard pergola that blocks some sun, for example, homeowners are increasingly looking to tinted and louvered roofs, oversized ceiling fans for air flow and retractable screens. —Kelley Bruss, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026

It can be trained to grow on fences, trellises, and pergolas, offering screening and shade. —Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin pergula

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1