Topic: AIR
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| Date: | 1500-1600 |
| Language: | French |
| Origin: | ballon 'large football, balloon', from Italian ballone 'large football', from balla 'ball' |
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bal‧loon1
[countable]
[countable]1DL an object made of brightly-coloured thin rubber, that is filled with air and used as a toy or decoration for parties :
2TTA 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. :
3TCN the circle drawn around the words spoken by the characters in a cartoon [= bubble]
4 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
a balloon payment
American EnglishBFLa $10,000 balloon payment due in two years5 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.
the balloon goes up
British English informalWe'll have to get out of there before the balloon goes up.
