balloon

bal|loon¹ [bəˈlu:n] n

[Date: 1500-1600; : French; Origin: ballon 'large football, balloon', from Italian ballone 'large football', from balla 'ball']

1.) an object made of brightly-coloured thin rubber, that is filled with air and used as a toy or decoration for parties

▪ Can you help me blow up these balloons?

▪ He burst the balloon in my face.

2.) also hot air balloon

a large bag of strong light cloth filled with gas or heated air so that it can float in the air. It has a basket hanging below it for people to stand in.

▪ a balloon flight over the Yorkshire Moors

3.) the circle drawn around the words spoken by the characters in a ↑cartoon

= ↑bubble

4.) a balloon payment

AmE money borrowed that must be paid back in one large sum after several smaller payments have been made

▪ a $10,000 balloon payment due in two years

5.) the balloon goes up

BrE informal used to refer to the moment when a situation starts to become really bad

▪ We'll have to get out of there before the balloon goes up.

→go down like a lead balloon at ↑lead³ (3)

balloon ²

balloon² v [i]also balloon out

1.) to suddenly become larger in amount

= ↑explode

▪ The company's debt has ballooned in the past year.

2.) if someone balloons, they suddenly become fat

▪ Paul ballooned after he got married.

3.) to get bigger and rounder

▪ The sheet flapped and ballooned in the wind.