gondola

American  

[gon-dl-uh, gon-doh-luh] / ˈgɒn dl ə, gɒnˈdoʊ lə /

noun

• gondolas
  plural

1. 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.

2. a passenger compartment suspended beneath a balloon or airship.

3. an enclosed cabin suspended from an overhead cable, used to transport passengers up and down a ski slope or over scenic or treacherous terrain.

4. Also called gondola car. an open railroad freight car with low sides, for transporting bulk freight and manufactured goods.

5. a truck whose bed or trailer is a hopper, as for transporting mixed cement.

6. a freestanding structure for displaying merchandise in a retail establishment, as a supermarket.

7. a chair or couch having a gondola back.

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gondola British  

/ ˈɡɒndələ /

noun

1. 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

2. 1. a car or cabin suspended from an airship or balloon

   2. a moving cabin suspended from a cable across a valley, etc

3. a flat-bottomed barge used on canals and rivers of the US as far west as the Mississippi

4. a low open flat-bottomed railway goods wagon

5. a set of island shelves in a self-service shop: used for displaying goods

6. a broadcasting booth built close to the roof over an ice-hockey arena, used by commentators

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gondolas
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gondola gondolas

The control gondola, analogous to a ship’s bridge, hung from the forward section of the keel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

As for the second question, if I were former Dodgers owner and aerial tram godfather Frank McCourt, I’d fasten my seat belt, because the gondola is about to hit some heavy turbulence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

The four former commissioners have signed a joint letter arguing that the gondola proposal “would enable a private development to permanently and irreparably shrink, degrade, and destroy the integrity of a state park.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

But how much is gained if gondola riders ditch the free shuttle buses that now run to the ballpark from Union Station?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

The video loop made the Rotunda Reading Room feel as if it were a gondola gently swaying beneath a motley-colored airship drifting along on a warm breeze.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

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

There are plenty of water taxis and gondolas still free for hire and no crowds of angry tourists, deprived of their magical ride.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2025

Medellin’s hillside settlements helped show the potential of gondolas as city infrastructure.

From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2024

Even the concession tickets provided a splash of color—brilliant blue for the Turkish Theater, pink for the Lapland Village, and mauve for the Venetian gondolas.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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