gondola

Definition

A small long, narrow boat with a high prow and stern, propelled with a single oar, especially in Venice.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian gondola, from Venetan góndoƚa. Possibly from Byzantine Greek κοντοῦρα (kontoûra, “cutter, kind of ship”).

Example Sentences

• "The railroad track paralleled the road, and along the track we saw lines of burned-out gondolas and freight cars which had been fired and destroyed during the war."