balloonery
|bal-loon-er-y|
/bəˈluːnəri/
practice or trade of balloons
Etymology
'balloonery' originates from English formed by 'balloon' + the suffix '-ery'; 'balloon' itself comes from French 'ballon' (from Italian 'ballone') meaning 'large ball', and the suffix '-ery' comes from Old French '-erie' indicating a practice or trade.
'balloon' entered English in the 17th century from French 'ballon', which derived from Italian 'ballone'; English later formed 'balloonery' by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ery' to indicate a practice or trade related to balloons.
Initially related to the idea of a 'large ball' (the original sense of 'ballon'), the term evolved to denote the activity, craft, or trade associated with balloons—i.e., ballooning or balloon-making.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the practice or sport of flying in balloons; ballooning (rare, chiefly literary or archaic).
In the early 19th century, enthusiasts of balloonery made daring ascents to study the atmosphere.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/07 03:22