From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishgondolagon‧do‧la /ˈɡɒndələ $ ˈɡɑːn-, ɡɑːnˈdoʊlə/ noun [countable] 1 TTWa long narrow boat with a flat bottom and high points at each end, used on the canals in Venice in Italy2 TTSthe place where passengers sit that hangs beneath an airship or balloon1(2)3 TTSthe enclosed part of a cable car where the passengers sit
Examples from the Corpus
gondola• A gondola was waiting by the steps.• The Grand Canal was wider than she'd anticipated, teeming with water-buses and motorboats, barges and gondolas.• An evening gondola ride is particularly nice.• Mountain lifts: There is a new gondola which will open up new areas for walking.• We were off the ski trail now, under what had been the old gondola line.• Allow 40 minutes for the gondola ride up the mountain.• The worst was yet to come, Tom thought: the gondola ride.• The gondola that contains the payload has been spotted from the air and is believed to be undamaged.From Longman Business Dictionarygondolagon‧do‧la /ˈgɒndələˈgɑːn-, gɑːnˈdoʊlə/ noun [countable] a large set of shelves in a supermarket which displays goods on both sidesOrigin gondola (1500-1600) Italian probably from Rhaeto-Romance gondolà “to roll” 