navicella

small vessel, capsule, nacelle

noun nah-vee-CHEL-lah Rare

Origin: Diminutive of 'nave' (ship), from Latin 'navicula'.

Usage Note

Navicella is literally a small boat or ship, but in modern use it most often refers to the gondola or capsule of an airship, hot-air balloon, or spacecraft — la navicella spaziale (spacecraft capsule). The diminutive suffix -ella is productive; the plural is navicelle.

Examples

"La navicella spaziale è rientrata in atmosfera."

Natural Translation

The spacecraft capsule re-entered the atmosphere.

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