What does gondola mean?
A gondola is most famously a long, narrow boat used in Venice, where a standing gondolier propels and steers the vessel with a single oar. The boats have become closely associated with the city's canals, bridges, architecture, and romantic tourism, although their distinctive design and black finish are traditional rather than universal. Outside this familiar sense, gondola can refer to a cabin or platform suspended from a cable, as in an aerial lift, or to a freestanding shelving or display unit in a shop. The word is therefore versatile despite remaining closely tied in popular imagination to Venice. It is especially useful for describing both an elegant means of transport and a practical retail fixture, with the surrounding context determining which meaning is intended.
nounA gondola is a long, narrow boat traditionally used on the canals of Venice and propelled by a single oar. The word can also denote a suspended cabin or platform, or a freestanding retail display fixture.
- A long, narrow boat traditionally used in Venice, propelled by a single oar.
- A suspended cabin or platform travelling along a cable.
- A freestanding shelving or display unit used in a shop.
"At sunset, a gondola slipped silently beneath the bridges of Venice."
"We took a gondola ride through the narrow canals after dark."
"The florist placed buckets of tulips on a gondola near the entrance."
The standard plural is gondolas, referring either to multiple boats or, in context, to multiple suspended cabins or retail fixtures.
"Several gondolas waited beside the canal landing."
Despite its romantic image, a traditional Venetian gondola is propelled and steered with one long oar, with the gondolier standing at the stern.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gondola come from?
English borrowed the word from Italian, specifically from Venetian usage, where gondola denotes the traditional boat. The word appeared in English in the early 17th century, initially referring to the Venetian craft. Its ultimate pre-Italian origin is uncertain and has been the subject of etymological speculation.
Related word forms
How gondola is actually used
The word is fully standard in British and American English. Its referent usually depends on context: it denotes the Venetian boat in travel and cultural settings, a suspended cabin in transport systems, and a shelving unit in retail environments.
Easily confused with gondola
A gondola is the boat, whereas a gondolier is the person who rows and steers it.