trial balloon
- noun
- /ˈtraɪəl bəˈluːn/
:
globo sonda
- The weather team sent up a trial balloon early in the morning to gather data on the upper atmosphere.
Examples
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Before launching the new aircraft, engineers released a trial balloon to study the wind direction.
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Years ago, explorers often used a trial balloon before attempting a journey by air.
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The company launched a trial balloon to gauge public interest.
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They released several trial balloons during the campaign.
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Before launching the new aircraft, engineers released a trial balloon to study the wind direction.
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The weather team sent up a trial balloon early in the morning to gather data on the upper atmosphere.
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Years ago, explorers often used a trial balloon before attempting a journey by air.
Synonyms
1
4.6
A small balloon that rises high into the sky to collect weather data
A small balloon released to find wind direction and speed high in the sky
Surface Forms
Morphology
The headword combines 'trial' (a test) with 'balloon' whose image of being 'floated' to see a reaction gives a plausible metaphor for testing an idea; a learner who knows both words can partially infer that something is being tried out to gauge response. However the specific conventionalized meaning ('a tentative proposal floated to test reactions') is metaphorical and idiomatic (and relies on a cultural metaphor found in some other languages), so full understanding is not guaranteed without exposure.
Etymology
The noun trial balloon comes from sending up a real balloon as a trial to check the wind and air. So, it means 'a balloon released to test air currents'.