[gon.do.la] n [It dial. (Venetian), prob. fr. MGk kontoura small vessel] (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; esp: one used as a ski lift