balloon · Contextualize

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.

derived from *bʰel-✻
derived from *bʰoln-✻
derived from *ballô✻
derived from *ballu✻ — “ball”
derived from balle
derived from *palla✻
derived from pallone
derived from ballon

Definitions

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.
›+ 17 more definitionsshow fewer
1. A sac inserted into part of the body for therapeutic reasons
  A sac inserted into part of the body for therapeutic reasons; such as angioplasty.
2. A speech bubble.
3. A wide rounded glass with a stem and foot, used for wine, brandy, etc.
4. 7
  A ball or globe on the top of a pillar, church, etc.
  - the balloon of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London
5. A round vessel, usually with a short neck, to hold or receive whatever is distilled
  A round vessel, usually with a short neck, to hold or receive whatever is distilled; a glass vessel of a spherical form.
6. A bomb or shell.
7. A game played with a large inflated ball.
8. The outline enclosing words represented as coming from the mouth of a pictured figure.
9. A woman's breast.
10. 13
  A small container for illicit drugs made from a condom or the finger of a latex glove,…
  A small container for illicit drugs made from a condom or the finger of a latex glove, etc.
  - 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.
11. 14
  Synonym of balloon payment.
  - The purpose of the balloon is to reduce the periodic payment required during the life of the financing period.
12. 15
  To increase or expand rapidly.
  - His stomach ballooned from eating such a large meal.
  - Prices will balloon if we don't act quickly.
13. To go up or voyage in a balloon.
14. To take up in, or as if in, a balloon.
15. 18
  To inflate like a balloon.
  - A puff of wind from the open door caught and ballooned the scanties; off they sailed, out the window billowing into freedom.
16. 19
  To strike (a ball) so that it flies high in the air.
  - 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.
17. 20
  Of an aircraft
  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.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for balloon. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

Etymology

Definitions

The neighborhood

Derived

Vish — recursive loop