Adjacent Words

Gondola definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GON'DOLA, n. A flat-bottomed boat, very long and narrow, used at Venice in Italy on the canals. A gondola of middle size is about thirty feet long and four broad, terminating at each end in a sharp point or peak rising to the highth of a man. It is usually rowed by two men, called gondoliers, who propel the boat by pushing the oars. The gondola is also used in other parts of Italy for a passage boat.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a low flat-bottomed freight car with fixed sides but no roof [syn: gondola car, gondola]
2: long narrow flat-bottomed boat propelled by sculling; traditionally used on canals of Venice
3: the compartment that is suspended from an airship and that carries personnel and the cargo and the power plant [syn: car, gondola]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Italian dialect (Venetian), probably from Middle Greek kontoura small vessel Date: 1549 1. a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with a high prow and stern used on the canals of Venice 2. a heavy flat-bottomed boat used on New England rivers and on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers 3. a railroad car with no top, a flat bottom, and fixed sides that is used chiefly for hauling heavy bulk commodities 4. 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

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a light flat-bottomed boat used on Venetian canals, with a central cabin and a high point at each end, worked by one oar at the stern. 2 a car suspended from an airship or balloon. 3 an island of shelves used to display goods in a supermarket. 4 (also gondola car) US a flat-bottomed open railway goods wagon. 5 a car attached to a ski-lift. Etymology: Venetian It., of obscure orig.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gondola Gon"do*la, n. (A["e]ronautics) An elongated car under a dirigible.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gondola Gon"do*la, n. [It., dim. of gonda a gondola; cf. LL. gandeia a kind of boat, Gr. ? a drinking vessel; said to be a Persian word; cf. F. gondole gondola, cup.] 1. A long, narrow boat with a high prow and stern, used in the canals of Venice. A gondola is usually propelled by one or two oarsmen who stand facing the prow, or by poling. A gondola for passengers has a small open cabin amidships, for their protection against the sun or rain. A sumptuary law of Venice required that gondolas should be painted black, and they are customarily so painted now. 2. A flat-bottomed boat for freight. [U. S.] 3. A long platform car, either having no sides or with very low sides, used on railroads. [U. S.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(gondolas) A gondola is a long narrow boat that is used especially in Venice. It has a flat bottom and curves upwards at both ends. A person stands at one end of the boat and uses a long pole to move and steer it. N-COUNT

Foolish Dictionary

A pleasure craft which plies in Venice, at World's Fairs and other popular watering places. From Eng. gone, and Lat. dolor, sadness, or Eng. dollar. Sadness gone; also, a gone dollar.