air balloonn.
/ˈɛː bəˌluːn/, U.S. /ˈɛr bəˌlun/ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > firework > [noun] > in form of ball that bursts
balloon1629
air balloon1749
1749 Descr. Machine for Fireworks 9 120 Large Honorary Rockets. 96 Rockets in two Flights. 14 Mortars with Air Ballons.
1753 Public Advertiser 25 May A cascade, and shower of fire, and grand air-balloons, were most magnificently displayed.
1765 R. Jones New Treat. Artific. Fireworks ii. 47 (heading) Air Ballóóns Fuzes.
2. = balloon n. 6. Cf. hot-air balloon n.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > balloons and airships > [noun] > balloon
air balloon1783
balloon1783
aerostat1784
gas balloon1785
1783 Morning Chron. 8 Sept. 3/4 The first air-balloon he made was filled with fumous particles.
1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1784 II. 541 [Johnson:] On one day I had three letters about the air-balloon.
1829 Nat. Philos. (Libr. Useful Knowl.) I. vi. §51. 28 Aërostats, or air-balloons, are machines, constructed so as to be able to rise in the atmosphere.
1861 Illustr. Dublin Jrnl. 23 Nov. 191 She had no more idea of any such proceeding than I have of taking a journey to the moon in an air balloon.
1907 Daily Mail 9 July 7/4 In July 1901 M. Santos Dumont flew from St. Cloud round the Eiffel Tower and back in his steerable air balloon.
1938 Times 4 Mar. 10/4 The newspapers are full of plans for air raid precautions, including an air balloon barrage over London.
2000 Geogr. Jrnl. 166 55/1 Unfortunately there are no radiosonde or air balloon data available for the Ethiopian Highlands to explore these upper air characteristics in more detail.
3. An inflatable toy balloon.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > ball or balloon > [noun]
ball?c1225
wind-ball1578
toss-ball1681
air ball1756
balloon1800
poi1817
gum ball1855
air balloon1883
beach-ball1940
1883 G. R. Sims Ballads & Poems 121 I shall..buy myself an air-balloon, a bucket, and a spade.
1895 B. M. Croker Village Tales 155 The child was jumping for joy, and had a green air-balloon in his hand.
1908 H. G. Wells War in Air vi. §2 Small children's air-balloons of the latest model attached to string became a serious check to the pedestrian in Central Park.
1944 O. Sitwell Autobiogr. (1945) I. ii. vi. 227 Fashionable beauties, with psyches that resembled air-balloons, inflated, light and highly coloured.
2004 Home Hill (Australia) Observer (Nexis) 22 July 606 Helium, latex and air balloons are all available and can be arranged with a soft toy or flowers.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1749