balloon Hear it!

balloon Definition

bal·loon (bə lo̵̅o̅n′)

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
    1. an installment loan, mortgage loan, etc. allowing small, regular payments during the term of the loan, but having a large, final payment
    2. the final payment

Etymology: Fr ballon, altered (after balle) < It pallone, large ball < palla, ball < Langobardic *palla (OHG balla), ball

transitive verb

to cause to swell like a balloon; inflate

intransitive verb

  1. to ride in a balloon
  2. to swell; expand
  3. to fall due as a balloon payment

adjective

  1. of or having to do with a balloon or balloons
  2. like a balloon; round and soft, inflatable, etc.

balloon Related Forms
bal·loon′·ist noun
balloon Synonyms

balloon

n.

dirigible, aircraft, airship, weather balloon, nondirigible aerostat, montgolfier, free balloon, captive balloon, kite balloon, lighter-than-air craft, toy balloon, zeppelin, observation balloon, barrage balloon, radar balloon, blimp*, bag*, sausage*, gasbag*, zep*.

balloon Synonyms

balloon

v.

bloat, swell up, expand; see inflate 2.

balloon Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • inflate: In balloon battle mode, you have to blow to the microphone to inflate the balloons.
  • deflate: During an angioplasty procedure, a doctor inserts a catheter with a deflated balloon at its tip into the blockage in the artery.

Adjective modifier

  • hot-air: Air Raising A hot-air balloon moving peacefully across the sky is one of the iconic sights of an English summer.
  • gilded: Winners of each of these go forward to a final at the Gilded Balloon at the festival.
  • helium-filled: He did, however, specifically deny that they included the word " goat " or term " helium-filled balloon " .
  • tethered: James also ruled out the possibility of a tethered balloon, but it would have been too close to the congested flightpaths over London.
  • extinguisher-shaped: The extinguisher-shaped balloon will be taking to the skies again this summer to appear at key ballooning events around the country.
  • inflated: Leakage due to bladder spasm irritation: The catheter and inflated balloon is a foreign body to the lower urinary tract.

Modifies a noun

  • dilatation: Good results from balloon dilatation are obtained in most patients with 60 % of patients dysphagia free at 5 years.
  • modeler: The afternoon will also include a disco, face painter, balloon modeler and much, much more!
  • bouquet: Balloon animals, balloon bouquets, balloon decorations - the uses of balloons at a party are endless.
  • catheter: Stent A stent is a small metal tube introduced into the coronary artery by the balloon catheter during angioplasty.
  • flight: Prices for local area hot air balloon flights vary in each region.
  • valvuloplasty: We can also arrange interventional cardiac procedures including pacemaker implantation, PDA coil occlusion and pulmonic balloon valvuloplasty.

Noun used with modifier

  • helium: We also bought her a helium balloon, which she loved pulling around by the string.
  • barrage: In the field opposite to us close to Bablake playing field, there used to be barrage balloon based.
  • latex: Also you will not be able to use the helium to inflate foil balloons and all of the 30 latex balloons.
  • foil: All of these balloons float considerably longer than the normal 18 " foil balloon.
  • catheter: Suction on the syringe to withdraw fluid from the catheter balloon may cause the catheter walls to collapse.
  • air: Prices for local area hot air balloon flights vary in each region.
balloon Quotes

   who knows if the moon's a balloon, coming out of a keen city in the skyöfilled with pretty people?

—cummings, e e pen name of  Edward Estlin Cummings

If I laugh on that particular day I become so filled with Laughing Gas that I simply can't keep on the ground. Even if I smile it happens.The first funny thought, and I'm up like a balloon. And until I can thinkof something serious I can't get down again.

—Travers, P(amela) L(yndon)