gondolier

[ gon-dl-eer ]

noun

1. a person who rows or poles a gondola.

gondolier

/ ˌɡɒndəˈlɪə /

noun

1. a man who propels a gondola

Word History and Origins

Origin of gondolier¹

From the Italian word gondoliere, dating back to 1595–1605. See gondola, -ier ²

Example Sentences

But at the same time, he begins to warm to the people around him, whether it’s Milo, a member of the Navajo tribe who invites him to his nephew’s traditional dance performance, or Alessandro, a third-generation Venetian gondolier who, nearing retirement, is preparing to hand his boat down to his son.

From Los Angeles Times

“I told the gondolier to stop singing,” Rustioni said.

From Seattle Times

He relates on a personal level to a gondolier whose son will eventually take over his business.

From Los Angeles Times

He views the old-master wing as akin to a village, and over time he counts all the inhabitants: There are 8,496, scattered among 596 paintings, and they include “every little background cherub, bullfight spectator, and ant-sized gondolier,” he says in a footnote.

From Washington Post

The collection was heavy on figurative works like Édouard Manet’s painterly snapshot of a paddling gondolier, “Le Grand Canal à Venise,” and David Hockney’s “The Conversation,” which depicts the curator Henry Geldzahler and the writer Raymond Foye engaged in a tense conversation.

From New York Times