balloon
/bəˈlun/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.90 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible.
noun
Such an object as a child’s toy or party decoration.
noun
A sac inserted into part of the body for therapeutic reasons; such as angioplasty.
noun
Example Sentences
- "We immediately threw out all the little things we had with us, ſuch as biſcuits, apples, &c. and after that one of our oars or wings; but ſtill deſcending, we caſt away the other wing, and then the governail ; having likewiſe had the precaution, for fear of accidents, while the Balloon was filling, partly to looſen and make it go eaſy, I now ſucceeded in attempting to reach without the Car, and unſcrewing the moulinet, with all its apparatus; I likewiſe caſt that into the ſea."
- "the balloon of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London"
- "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."
- "The purpose of the balloon is to reduce the periodic payment required during the life of the financing period."
- "His stomach ballooned from eating such a large meal."
- "Prices will balloon if we don't act quickly."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-der. Proto-Germanic *balluz Frankish *ballubor. Medieval Latin balla Italian palla Proto-Indo-European *-ōder. Proto-Indo-European *-Hōder.? Latin -ōnem Italian -one Italian pallonebor. ▲ Italian pallonebor. Middle French ballonbor.? English balloon 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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /bəˈlun/
- British English: /bəˈluːn/