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Balloon

//bəˈluːn// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible.
2
large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air wordnet
3
Such an object as a child’s toy or party decoration.
4
small thin inflatable rubber bag with narrow neck wordnet
5
Such an object designed to transport people or equipment through the air.
"We immediately threw out all the little things we had with us, ſuch as biſcuits, apples, &c. and after that one of our oars or wings; but ſtill deſcending, we caſt away the other wing, and then the governail ; having likewiſe had the precaution, for fear of accidents, while the Balloon was filling, partly to looſen and make it go eaſy, I now ſucceeded in attempting to reach without the Car, and unſcrewing the moulinet, with all its apparatus; I likewiſe caſt that into the ſea."

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6
A sac inserted into part of the body for therapeutic reasons; such as angioplasty.
7
A speech bubble.
8
A wide rounded glass with a stem and foot, used for wine, brandy, etc.
9
A ball or globe on the top of a pillar, church, etc.
"the balloon of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London"
10
A round vessel, usually with a short neck, to hold or receive whatever is distilled; a glass vessel of a spherical form.
11
A bomb or shell.
12
A game played with a large inflated ball. obsolete
13
The outline enclosing words represented as coming from the mouth of a pictured figure.
14
A woman's breast. slang
15
A small container for illicit drugs made from a condom or the finger of a latex glove, etc. slang
"And all I had to do in return was take a drive up to Ricardo's place on the way home and then a pretty edgy one back to Rondebosch with a balloon of coke sandwiched between two pairs of underpants."
16
Synonym of balloon payment.
"The purpose of the balloon is to reduce the periodic payment required during the life of the financing period."

Verb

1
To increase or expand rapidly. intransitive
"His stomach ballooned from eating such a large meal."
2
become inflated wordnet
3
To go up or voyage in a balloon. intransitive
4
ride in a hot-air balloon wordnet
5
To take up in, or as if in, a balloon. transitive

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6
To inflate like a balloon. transitive
"A puff of wind from the open door caught and ballooned the scanties; off they sailed, out the window billowing into freedom."
7
To strike (a ball) so that it flies high in the air. transitive
"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."
8
Of an aircraft: to plunge alternately up and down.
"The plane ballooned into the air about 20 feet, banging down again for another good-sized hop."

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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