ballon d'essai
[ ba-lawn de-se ]
/ ba lɔ̃ dɛˈsɛ /
noun, plural bal·lons d'es·sai [ba-lawn de-se] /ba lɔ̃ dɛˈsɛ/. French.
Words nearby ballon d'essai
ballistocardiograph,
ballistospore,
ballium,
ballocks,
ballon,
ballon d'essai,
ballonet,
ballonné,
balloon,
balloon angioplasty,
balloon barrage
British Dictionary definitions for ballon d'essai
ballon d'essai
/ (bæˈlõ dɛˈseɪ) /
noun plural ballons d'essai (bæˈlõ dɛˈseɪ)
a project or policy put forward experimentally to gauge reactions to it
Compare trial balloon
Word Origin for ballon d'essai
C19: from French, literally: trial balloon