Trends ofballoon
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balloon
(bəluːn)
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense balloons, present participle ballooning, past tense, past participle ballooned
1. countable noun
A balloon is a small, thin, rubber bag that you blow air into so that it becomes larger and rounder or longer. Balloons are used as toys or decorations.
She popped a balloon with her fork.
2. countable noun [oft by NOUN]
A balloon is a large, strong bag filled with gas or hot air, which can carry passengers in a container that hangs underneath it.
They are to attempt to be the first to circle the Earth non-stop by balloon.
Synonyms: airship, hot-air balloon, Montgolfier, weather balloon More Synonyms of balloon
3. verb
When something balloons, it increases rapidly in amount.
Attendance has ballooned more than tenfold over the past 16 years. [VERB]
The budget deficit has ballooned to $25 billion. [VERB + to]
Synonyms: expand, rise, increase, extend More Synonyms of balloon
balloon in British English
(bəˈluːn)
noun
1.
an inflatable rubber bag of various sizes, shapes, and colours: usually used as a plaything or party decoration
2.
a large impermeable bag inflated with a lighter-than-air gas, designed to rise and float in the atmosphere. It may have a basket or gondola for carrying passengers, etc
See also barrage balloon, hot-air balloon3.
a circular or elliptical figure containing the words or thoughts of a character in a cartoon
4. British
a.
a kick or stroke that propels a ball high into the air
b.
(as modifier)
a balloon shot
5. chemistry
a round-bottomed flask
6.
a large rounded brandy glass
7. business
a.
a large sum paid as an irregular instalment of a loan repayment
b.
(as modifier)
a balloon loan
8. surgery
a.
an inflatable plastic tube used for dilating obstructed blood vessels or parts of the alimentary canal
b.
(as modifier)
balloon angioplasty
9. go down like a lead balloon
10. when the balloon goes up
verb
11. (intransitive)
to go up or fly in a balloon
12. (intransitive)
to increase or expand significantly and rapidly
losses ballooned to £278 million
13.
to inflate or be inflated; distend; swell
the wind ballooned the sails
14. (transitive) British
to propel (a ball) high into the air
Derived forms
ballooning (balˈlooning) noun
balloonist (balˈloonist)
noun
balloon-like (balˈloon-ˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
C16 (in the sense: ball, ball game): from Italian dialect ballone, from balla, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German balla ball1balloon in American English
(bəˈlun)
noun
1.
an airtight bag that rises and floats above the earth when filled with hot air or a gas lighter than air, such as hydrogen or helium
2.
a bag of this sort with an attached car or gondola for carrying passengers or instruments
3.
a small rubber bag inflated for use chiefly as a toy or decoration
4.
the outline enclosing the words or thoughts of a character in a cartoon, as in comic strips
5.
a.
an installment loan, mortgage loan, etc. allowing small, regular payments during the term of the loan, but having a large, final payment
b.
the final payment
verb transitive
6.
to cause to swell like a balloon; inflate
verb intransitive
7.
to ride in a balloon
8.
to swell; expand
9.
to fall due as a balloon payment
adjective
10.
of or having to do with a balloon or balloons
11.
like a balloon; round and soft, inflatable, etc.
Derived forms
balloonist (balˈloonist) noun
Word origin
Fr ballon, altered (after balle) < It pallone, large ball < palla, ball < Langobardic *palla (OHG balla), ball1More idioms containingballoon
go down like a lead balloon
the balloon went up
a trial balloon
Image ofballoon
© tale, shutterstock
Examples of 'balloon' in a sentenceballoon
Word lists withballoon
types of aircraft, types of aircraftIn other languagesballoon
British English: balloon /bəˈluːn/ NOUN
A balloon is a small, thin, rubber bag that becomes larger when you blow air into it.
She popped a balloon with her fork.
- American English: balloon
- Arabic: بالون
- Brazilian Portuguese: balão
- Chinese: 气球
- Croatian: balon
- Czech: balón
- Danish: ballon
- Dutch: ballon
- European Spanish: globo aerostático
- Finnish: ilmapallo
- French: ballon
- German: Luftballon
- Greek: μπαλόνι
- Italian: pallone aerostatico
- Japanese: 風船
- Korean: 풍선
- Norwegian: ballong
- Polish: balon
- European Portuguese: balão
- Romanian: balon
- Russian: воздушный шар
- Latin American Spanish: globo
- Swedish: ballong
- Thai: ลูกโป่ง
- Turkish: balon
- Ukrainian: повітряна куля
- Vietnamese: bóng bay
British English: balloon VERB
When something balloons, it increases rapidly in amount.
Use of the underground has ballooned.
- American English: balloon
- Brazilian Portuguese: inflar
- Chinese: 数量上 猛增
- European Spanish: dispararse
- French: gonfler
- German: sich rasch steigern
- Italian: crescere rapidamente
- Japanese: 急増する
- Korean: 급증하다
- European Portuguese: expandir
- Latin American Spanish: dispararse
All related terms of 'balloon'
Chinese translation of 'balloon'
balloon
(bəˈluːn)
n (c)
- (child's)
气(氣)球
(qìqiú) (只, zhī) - (also hot-air balloon)
热(熱)气(氣)球
(rèqìqiú) (个(個), gè)
vi
- (= increase in size)
膨胀(脹)
(péngzhàng)
(noun)
Definition
a large bag inflated with a lighter-than-air gas, designed to rise and float in the atmosphere with a basket for carrying passengers
the first to attempt to circle the Earth non-stop by balloon
Synonyms
airship
hot-air balloon
Montgolfier
weather balloon
(verb)
Definition
to swell or increase rapidly in size
The budget deficit has ballooned to $25 million.Her weight ballooned from 8 stone to 12 stone.
Synonyms
expand
Water expands as it freezes.
rise
I covered the dough to let it rise.
increase
The population continues to increase.
extend
They have added three new products to extend their range.
swell
The limbs swell to an enormous size.
mushroom
The industry has mushroomed over the last decade.
blow up
enlarge
The glands in the neck may enlarge.
inflate
He jumped into the sea and inflated the liferaft.
bulge
He bulges out of his black T-shirt.
billow
the billowing sails
dilate
The pupils dilate to let in more light.
be inflated
puff out
become larger
distend
The large intestine distends and fills with gas.
bloat
grow rapidly
Additional synonyms
in the sense of billow
Definition
to rise up or swell out
the billowing sails
Synonyms
surge,
roll,
expand,
swell,
balloon,
belly,
bulge,
dilate,
puff up,
bloatin the sense of bloat
Definition
to cause to swell, as with a liquid or air
Synonyms
puff up,
expand,
swell,
balloon,
blow up,
enlarge,
inflate,
dilate,
distendin the sense of bulge
Definition
to swell outwards
He bulges out of his black T-shirt.
Synonyms
swell out,
project,
expand,
swell,
stand out,
stick out,
protrude,
puff out,
distend,
bagSynonyms of 'balloon'
balloon
Explore 'balloon' in the dictionary
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