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.

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