balloon

== English == === Etymology === First use appears c. 1591, "a game played with a large, inflated leather ball" (possibly via Middle French ballon) from Italian pallone (“large ball”) from palla (“ball”), from Lombardic *palla. The Northern Italian form, balla (“ball-shaped bundle”), today a doublet, likely derived from Old French balle, from Frankish *balla (“ball”), and may have influenced the spelling of this word. Both Germanic words are from Proto-Germanic *ballô (“ball”), *balluz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰoln- (“bubble”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to blow, swell, inflate”). Akin to Old High German ballo, bal (“ball”), (German Ballen (“bale”); Ball "ball"). Doublet of ballon. More at ball. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /bəˈluːn/ (General American) IPA(key): /bəˈlun/ Rhymes: -uːn Hyphenation: bal‧loon === Noun === balloon (plural balloons) An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible. Such an object as a child’s toy or party decoration. Such an object designed to transport people or equipment through the air. (medicine) A sac inserted into part of the body for therapeutic reasons; such as angioplasty. A speech bubble. A wide rounded glass with a stem and foot, used for wine, brandy, etc. Synonym: ballon (architecture) A ball or globe on the top of a pillar, church, etc. (chemistry) A round vessel, usually with a short neck, to hold or receive whatever is distilled; a glass vessel of a spherical form. (pyrotechnics) A bomb or shell. (obsolete) A game played with a large inflated ball. (engraving) The outline enclosing words represented as coming from the mouth of a pictured figure. (slang) A woman's breast. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:breasts (slang) A small container for illicit drugs made from a condom or the finger of a latex glove, etc. (finance) Synonym of balloon payment. ==== Synonyms ==== (inflatable object): (child’s toy): toy balloon (in medicine): (speech bubble): speech bubble, fumetto ==== Hyponyms ==== ==== Coordinate terms ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Assamese: বেলুন (belun) → Bengali: বেলুন (belun) → Japanese: バルーン (barūn) → Māori: parūnu → Welsh: balŵn → Zulu: ibhaloni ==== Translations ==== === Verb === balloon (third-person singular simple present balloons, present participle ballooning, simple past and past participle ballooned) (intransitive) To increase or expand rapidly. (intransitive) To go up or voyage in a balloon. (transitive) To take up in, or as if in, a balloon. (transitive) To inflate like a balloon. (transitive, sports) To strike (a ball) so that it flies high in the air. 2015, Steve Wilson, A View From The Terraces (part 2, page 138) After four minutes, leading goalscorer Haworth slid in but ballooned the ball over from six yards, and Hume then outran the defence to get to the by-line, but he could only hit his cross straight out. (aviation) Of an aircraft: to plunge alternately up and down. Synonym: porpoise ==== Translations ==== === See also === airship ball ballonet blimp dirigible gondola zeppelin === Further reading === balloon on Wikipedia.Wikipedia