Etymology

ballon d'essai

Today it means: A policy put forward to test reactions; something designed to test the waters, an experimental measure. Full definition →

First used 19th c.French ballon d'essai
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The story

  1. French · borrowed fromballon d'essai
  2. English todayballon d'essai

Borrowed from French ballon d'essai.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. A policy put forward to test reactions; something designed to test the waters, an experimental measure.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.