1
- a brightly coloured rubber sac which is inflated with air and then sealed at the neck, and used as a child's toy or a decoration气球。
1.1
- a round or pear-shaped outline in which the words or thoughts of characters in a comic strip or cartoon are written（漫画或卡通里书写人物语言或思想的）气球形圆框。
2
- a large bag filled with hot air or gas to make it rise in the air, typically one carrying a basket for passengers（尤指载客）热气球：
a hot-air balloon.
热气球。
3
- （亦作balloon glass）a large rounded drinking glass, used for brandy and other drinks球形大酒杯。
4
- Scottish informal a stupid person〈苏格兰, 非正式〉蠢人。
no obj.
1
- swell out or cause to swell out in a spherical shape鼓起; 成球状突起：
the trousers ballooned out below his waist.
他的裤子从腰下鼓了起来。
1.1
- (of an amount of money spent, earned, or owed) increase rapidly（支出、赚取或欠下的钱）迅速增多：
the company's debt has ballooned in the last five years
过去五年里公司债务迅速增长
as adj. ballooning ballooning government spending.迅速增长的政府开支。
1.2
- (of a person) increase rapidly and dramatically in weight（人）体重迅速增加：
I ate out of boredom and I just ballooned up.
我无聊就吃东西, 结果体重猛增。
2
- Brit. (of a ball) be kicked or struck so that it floats high in the air〈英〉（球）被踢（或打）得腾空飞起：
the ball ballooned into the air.
球腾空高高飞起。
2.1
- with obj. hit or kick (a ball) in such a way（把球）踢飞; 打飞：
he ballooned the penalty over the bar.
他罚点球时把球从横梁上踢飞。
3
- travel by hot-air balloon乘热气球旅行：
he is famous for ballooning across oceans.
他因乘热气球飞越大洋而出名。
短语
when（或before）the balloon goes up
- informal when (or before) the action or trouble starts〈非正式〉行动（或麻烦）开始时（或之前）。
- ORIGIN: probably with allusion to the release of a balloon to mark the start of an event.
词源
late 16th cent. (originally denoting a game played with a large inflated leather ball)： from French ballon or Italian ballone 'large ball'.