pergola
Americannoun
-
pergolas
plural
-
an arbor formed of horizontal trelliswork supported on columns or posts, over which vines or other plants are trained.
-
a colonnade having the form of such an arbor.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pergola
1645–55; < Italian < Latin pergula projecting roof, arbor
Explanation
A pergola is a wooden structure in a garden that's made for climbing plants. For example, you might have an ivy-covered pergola in your yard. Other words for pergola are trellis or arbor. When gardeners plant climbing roses or ivy or other plants that like to wind upward around supports as they grow, they often use a pergola. The frame holds the vines and also provides a decorative arch that looks pretty in a garden or yard. The word pergola is Italian, from the Latin pergula, "projecting roof," which is most likely rooted in pergere, "to come forward."
Vocabulary lists containing pergola
Listen, Slowly
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Secret History
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“With a rose garden in the front, pergola in the back, and heated pool off the side of the home there is a perfect outdoor space for any time of day,” the listing notes.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Outside, the couple leveled the once-dirt backyard, added pea gravel, built a pergola with a handyman and installed a firepit where they enjoy entertaining their friends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
I ate my pastries under a shady pergola and biked back to the hotel for a quintessential Miami afternoon: following the sun from pool to beach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
At the southern main entrance, visitors will be greeted by a large pond with seating and a pergola.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2023
I head straight for our backyard, to the patio Dad built, with its shaded pergola and picnic table.
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Manual and motorized shades can be added to pergolas to provide more privacy.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 17, 2023
A pool and hot tub behind the house are flanked by two pergolas wrapped in vines.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 25, 2022
The bunker then opens onto an expansive outdoor space decorated with American flags and bunting and landscaped with palm trees, pathways and pergolas.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 17, 2022
Removing the Venturi, Scott Brown pergolas has made Gill’s design more visible than ever.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2022
The grounds, in places, bore signs of the geometric Victorian trimness which had been their original form: drained fish-pools; the long white colonnades of skeleton pergolas; rock-bordered parterres where flowers no longer grew.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
