gondola
Americannoun
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a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat having a tall, ornamental stem and stern and sometimes a small cabin for passengers, rowed or poled by a single person who stands at the stern, facing forward: used especially on the canals of Venice, Italy.
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a passenger compartment suspended beneath a balloon or airship.
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an enclosed cabin suspended from an overhead cable, used to transport passengers up and down a ski slope or over scenic or treacherous terrain.
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Also called gondola car. an open railroad freight car with low sides, for transporting bulk freight and manufactured goods.
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a truck whose bed or trailer is a hopper, as for transporting mixed cement.
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a freestanding structure for displaying merchandise in a retail establishment, as a supermarket.
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a chair or couch having a gondola back.
noun
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a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high ornamented stem and a platform at the stern where an oarsman stands and propels the boat by sculling or punting: traditionally used on the canals of Venice
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a car or cabin suspended from an airship or balloon
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a moving cabin suspended from a cable across a valley, etc
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a flat-bottomed barge used on canals and rivers of the US as far west as the Mississippi
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a low open flat-bottomed railway goods wagon
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a set of island shelves in a self-service shop: used for displaying goods
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a broadcasting booth built close to the roof over an ice-hockey arena, used by commentators
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of gondola
1540–50; < Italian < Venetian, probably < Medieval Greek kontoúra small boat used in coastal navigation, noun use of feminine of kóntouros short, clipped, literally, dock-tailed, equivalent to Late Greek kont ( ós ), kond ( ós ) short + Greek -ouros -tailed, adj. derivative of ourá tail
Explanation
A gondola is a narrow boat that's powered by a rower who stands at one end. If you visit Venice, you should ride along the canals in a gondola. Gondolas look a bit like long, skinny canoes with flat bottoms. They're lightweight boats that are almost entirely used for transportation and tourism in Venice, Italy, a city that's made up of many small islands linked by canals and bridges. During the 17th and 18th centuries, historians estimate there were as many as ten thousand gondolas in regular use there — today there are about 400. Enclosed ski lifts are also known as gondolas.
Vocabulary lists containing gondola
The Merchant of Venice
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As You Like It
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When the Emperor Was Divine
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If you’ve ever fancied a gondola ride through Venice’s famous canals, now might be the time—many Americans have already grasped the opportunity this summer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
The issue comes as another McCourt entity awaits a council vote — expected this fall — on whether to approve its proposed gondola from Union Station to Dodger Stadium.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
By year’s end, the Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote on McCourt’s gondola project, estimated to cost $500 million and proposed as privately financed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
Dramatic video has emerged showing the gondola tumbling down Mt Titlis and flipping over several times before coming to a halt.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
I crawled down between the gondola and the shelter of the high freight-car behind.
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
Not only are the gondolas imported from Italy, but the gondoliers are professionally trained singers who travel to Italy to learn the craft.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
An “ocean skyway” ride took visitors in clear gondolas out over the Pacific surf.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2025
Medellin’s hillside settlements helped show the potential of gondolas as city infrastructure.
From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2024
Images taken by the BBC showed wires from at least two gondolas on the ride tangled up with each other.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2024
Then I saw a low open car of the sort they call gondolas coming, covered with canvas.
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
