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Glite Dictionary
aerial tramway

aerial tramway

6.3
A way of carrying people in cabins that hang from cables above the ground
  • noun
  • /ˈɛəriəl ˈtræmweɪ/
translation icon : teleférico
  • We rode the aerial tramway to reach the mountaintop, where we could see for miles around.

I'm looking at you small trolley with pantograph, electrical connection, mountain cable car and aerial tramway.

Examples

  • Thom decided that the mountain highways would be clogged with skiers, and therefore they would drive to a place in the desert where an aerial tramway ran to a summit upon which she would find a surfeit of her beloved snow.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The aerial tramway took us high above the city, offering stunning views of the skyline.

  • The new aerial tramway connects the two sides of the valley, making it easier for tourists to explore both areas.

Synonyms

tram
vsaerial tramway
5 2.7

A cabin carried by cables between towers to move people up a mountain or across a valley

refers to the whole transport system rather than a single vehicle
tramway
vsaerial tramway
1 5.6

A system that carries people or goods in cars hanging from cables

is the same concept but focuses on cabins carried between towers
cable tramway
vsaerial tramway
7.1

A system that carries people or goods in cabins hanging from moving cables

is the general system carrying cabins along overhead cables
ropeway
vsaerial tramway
  • UK
7.9

A system that carries people or goods in cars hanging from cables over rough land

is the general overhead cable transport, not limited to rough terrain

How High

aerial tramway
6.3
chairlift
5 3.4
funicular
  • Specialized
1 8.9

Surface Forms

aerial tramway singular
aerial tramways plural

Morphology

aerial + tramway

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'aerial' (in the air) + 'tramway' (a track or system for tram-like carriers), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer a tramway that runs in the air (suspended cable cars). This is a regular noun–noun compound pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, making the concept predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Aerial tramway paints a simple picture: aerial means 'in the air' and tramway suggests a tram on tracks, so it describes cabins hanging from cables like a tram 'in the air'. That's why it means a transport system where cabins are carried along overhead cables to move people or goods.