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   balloon

   /bəˈluːn/

   noun

   • 1. a small coloured rubber bag that is inflated with air and then sealed at the neck, used as a child's toy or a decoration: "the room was festooned with balloons and streamers"
   • ▪ a small inflatable bag that is inflated inside a hollow organ, typically to close or distend it.
   • 2. a large bag filled with hot air or gas to make it rise in the air, typically one carrying a basket for passengers: "he set his sights on crossing the Pacific by balloon"
   • 3. a rounded outline in which the words or thoughts of characters in a comic strip or cartoon are written: "a balloon reading ‘Ka-Pow!’"
   • 4. a large rounded drinking glass, used especially for brandy: "a balloon of armagnac"
   • 5. a stupid person. informal Scottish

   verb

   • 1. swell out in a spherical shape: "the trousers ballooned out below his waist" Similar swell (out)puff out/upbulge (out)bagbelly (out)fill (out)billow (out)blow upinflatedistendexpanddilateOpposite sagflap
   • ▪ (of an amount of money spent or owed) increase rapidly: "the company's debt has ballooned in the last five years" Similar increase rapidlysoarrocketshoot upescalatemountsurgespiralgrow rapidlyrise rapidlyinformal:go through the ceilinggo through the roofskyrocketOpposite plummet
   • ▪ (of a person) increase rapidly in weight: "I ate out of boredom and I just ballooned up"
   • 2. (with reference to a ball) lob or be lobbed high in the air: British "the ball ballooned into the air"
   • 3. travel by hot-air balloon: "he is famous for ballooning across oceans"

   Word Origin late 16th century (originally denoting a game played with a large inflated leather ball): from French ballon or Italian ballone ‘large ball’.

   Scrabble Points: 9

   • B

     3

   • A

     1

   • L

     1

   • L

     1

   • O

     1

   • O

     1

   • N

     1

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