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- gondola 1
gondola
noun
gon·do·la
gän-ˈdō-
(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
Examples of gondola in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In warmer months, come for the 1,000 miles of hiking trails, take gondolas up to the mountain summits for spectacular views, or hop in a canoe for a scenic excursion through the lakes.
—
Shelby Wax, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2024
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board voted 11-0 to approve the environmental analysis for a gondola to Dodger Stadium.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
The couple arrived for the 1955 wedding in Venice aboard a gondola with Ms. von Fürstenberg’s veil flowing back to the feet of the gondolier.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, which was built over a series of mountaintop caves, is reached via a slow-moving gondola.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024
Others fear the view from L.A. Historic Park would be forever ruined by towers and swaying gondolas.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024
The Sky Bistro at Sulphur Mountain Gondola is absolutely gorgeous and offers 360-degree views from the gondola tower.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 5 Feb. 2024
Upon arrival at the summit, visitors are met by multisensory art installations that bring the gondola building to life.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2024
At the insistence of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and her allies, the Metro board’s approval of the gondola was contingent on any future Dodger Stadium parking lot development including affordable housing.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
Shelby Wax, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2024
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board voted 11-0 to approve the environmental analysis for a gondola to Dodger Stadium.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
The couple arrived for the 1955 wedding in Venice aboard a gondola with Ms. von Fürstenberg’s veil flowing back to the feet of the gondolier.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024
Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, which was built over a series of mountaintop caves, is reached via a slow-moving gondola.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024
Others fear the view from L.A. Historic Park would be forever ruined by towers and swaying gondolas.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024
The Sky Bistro at Sulphur Mountain Gondola is absolutely gorgeous and offers 360-degree views from the gondola tower.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 5 Feb. 2024
Upon arrival at the summit, visitors are met by multisensory art installations that bring the gondola building to life.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2024
At the insistence of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and her allies, the Metro board’s approval of the gondola was contingent on any future Dodger Stadium parking lot development including affordable housing.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gondola.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Italian dialect (Venetian), probably from Middle Greek kontoura small vessel
First Known Use
1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near gondola
Cite this Entry
“Gondola.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gondola. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on gondola
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gondola
Nglish: Translation of gondola for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gondola
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