trial balloons

A form of trial balloon — A small balloon released into the sky to determine the direction and tendency of winds in the upper air before a manned ascent in a larger balloon; a ballon d'essai.

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Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of trial balloon
Cite this entry
APA

trial balloons. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trial%20balloons

MLA

“trial balloons.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trial%20balloons. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trial balloons,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trial%20balloons.

Source: trial balloons on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.