Webster's English Dictionary

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balloon

1. bal.loon \b*-'lu:n\ \-'lu:-n*st\ n [F ballon large football, balloon, 
   fr. It dial. ballone large footb]all, aug. of balla ball, of Gmc origin 1: 
   a nonporous bag of tough light material filled with heated air or a gas  
   lighter than air so as to rise and float in the atmosphere 2: a toy 
   consisting of an inflatable rubber bag  3: the outline enclosing words 
   represented as coming from the mouth of a pi ctured figure esp. in a 
   cartoon - bal.loon.ist n
2. balloon vt : INFLATE, DISTEND  1: to ascend or travel in a balloon  2: 
   to swell or puff out  3: to increase rapidly