noun
gondola
A compartment suspended beneath an airborne support to carry people or equipment.
The gondola carries six skiers up the mountain on an overhead cable.
Etymology
The boat name transferred to a suspended passenger compartment through its vessel-like form. It names the carrying enclosure beneath the balloon, cable, or other support.
More examples
- Passengers board the gondola at the lower station.
- The balloon lifts a gondola filled with scientific instruments.
- The pilot steers the airship from its gondola.
Forms
gondola · gondolas