Meaning & use
gondola
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Meanings
nouncountable
A long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat with a curved end, rowed by one person standing at the back, used on the canals of Venice.
Grammar: Usually used in the context of Venice: take a gondola ride.
Patterns
- a gondola ride
We drifted under the bridges in a gondola.
The gondola glided silently down the narrow canal.
Tourists line up to ride a gondola at sunset.
nouncountable
A small cabin hung from a cable that carries passengers up and down a mountain or over a valley.
Grammar: Often used in ski areas: take the gondola to the summit.
Patterns
- take the gondola
- ride the gondola
The gondola carried us to the summit in ten minutes.
Skiers packed the gondola at the base station.
The glass-floored gondola crossed the gorge.
nouncountable
The basket or compartment hanging beneath a hot air balloon or airship, in which passengers sit.
Grammar: Often used with balloon: the balloon's gondola.
Patterns
- the gondola of something
Four passengers fit in the balloon's gondola.
The gondola swung gently beneath the airship.
The pilot stood in the gondola and checked the burner.
nouncountablebusiness
A freestanding shelving unit in a store used to display goods in an aisle.
Grammar: A retail term: the gondola at the end of the aisle.
Patterns
- a gondola of something
The supermarket moved the cereal to a gondola near the entrance.
Sale items filled the gondola at the end of the aisle.
A gondola of candy was placed beside the checkout.
Word forms
| plural | gondolas |
|---|
Common combinations
- gondola ride
- A gondola ride in Venice costs more than tourists expect.
- ski gondola
- The ski gondola opens at nine.
- ride a gondola
- They rode a gondola over the valley.
- gondola lift
- The gondola lift stopped because of wind.
- gondola display
- The gondola display held seasonal items.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cable car
- Cable car is a general term and may refer to a large car on a single cable, while gondola often means a small enclosed cabin on a continuous loop.
- aerial tramway
- An aerial tramway carries two large cabins back and forth, unlike a gondola's many small cabins.
- canal boat
- Canal boat is a broad term and not specific to Venice, whereas gondola has a particular shape and rowing style.
Word family
- gondolier noun
- the person who rows a gondola
- gondola lift noun
- a ski or mountain lift using small cabins on a cable
- gondola car noun
- an open-topped railway wagon for bulk goods
Commonly confused: gondola or gandola? gondola or gondolier?
gondola vs gandola
Gandola is a common misspelling. The correct spelling is gondola, with an o in the first syllable.
gondola vs gondolier
A gondolier is the person who rows a gondola, not the boat itself.
Practice
Which is the correct spelling of the boat used in Venice?
Choose one answer.
Gondola has an o in the first syllable and o before la. The other forms are misspellings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gondola”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.