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

There’s no need to don a corset under your ski gear, however, as the amenities are slick and modern, with 10 lifts, including an eight-seat gondola and a six-pack express chairlift. —Jennifer Malloy, Travel + Leisure, 17 Feb. 2025

Cable cars, in other words, that don't all have to go the same way, switching freely between cables that can be much shorter and cheaper than several miles of regular gondola line. —New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2025

Winter Park compensated those who were stuck on the gondola with two lift tickets and a $10 resort voucher. —John Meyer, The Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2025

Riders still get the panoramic views of a gondola, but the wait is longer, and the cabin is less comfortable (with standing room and only two seats in each) than those developed for cities in Latin America, Europe and North Africa. —Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 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