balloon
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a thin rubber bag that you fill with air or gas for a party or decoration.
n.a small, flexible bag made of rubber or plastic, typically inflated with air or helium for decorative or recreational purposes.
Simple“The children played with bright red balloons at the birthday party.”
In context“The event planners filled the ballroom with hundreds of biodegradable balloons to create a festive atmosphere for the gala.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a very large bag filled with hot air or gas that can carry people in a basket underneath it.
n.a large, non-powered aircraft consisting of a bag filled with heated air or a gas lighter than air.
Simple“We took a hot-air balloon ride over the valley at sunrise.”
In context“The pilot monitored the burner carefully to maintain the balloon's altitude as they drifted over the mountain range.”
Synonymsairshipaerostat - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the shape around the words that characters speak in a comic book.
n.a graphic convention used in comic strips and cartoons to contain a character's spoken words or thoughts.
Simple“The artist drew a jagged balloon to show that the character was shouting.”
In context“In graphic novels, the shape and border of the speech balloon often convey the emotional tone of the dialogue.”
Synonymsspeech bubblethought bubble - 04 C1 Advanced
n.a tiny bag that a doctor puts inside a person's body to open up a blocked tube or vein.
n.an inflatable catheter-mounted device used in medical procedures, such as angioplasty, to dilate a vessel or cavity.
Simple“The surgeon used a small balloon to open the patient's blocked artery.”
In context“During the procedure, the balloon is inflated at the site of the blockage to restore normal blood flow through the vessel.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to increase or grow in size very quickly.
v.to expand or increase rapidly in size, volume, or importance. Intransitive use.
Simple“The cost of the new stadium has ballooned since the project started.”
In context“What began as a minor local dispute quickly ballooned into a national political scandal involving several high-ranking officials.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fill with air and become round like a ball.
v.to swell or puff out like a balloon, often due to wind or internal pressure.
Simple“The sails ballooned in the strong wind, pulling the boat forward.”
In context“Her silk skirt ballooned around her as she stepped out into the gusty afternoon air.”
“That’s why architects, when they’re trying to sell a development, always add the magic ingredients: a child with a balloon, a couple pushing a buggy and a gentleman with a bicycle.”
“But this financial year it has ballooned to $54bn and the scheme now supports more than 700,000 people.”
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 adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.