kite balloon
- noun
- Archaic
:
globo de barrera
- The design of a kite balloon helps stabilize it so it always points into the wind.
Examples
-
During World War I, many cities used kite balloons to protect against low-flying enemy aircraft.
-
Engineers improved the kite balloon to maximize its effectiveness in air defense.
-
The kite balloon floated gracefully in the sky.
-
Have you ever seen a kite balloon up close?
-
During World War I, many cities used kite balloons to protect against low-flying enemy aircraft.
-
Engineers improved the kite balloon to maximize its effectiveness in air defense.
-
The design of a kite balloon helps stabilize it so it always points into the wind.
Synonyms
190
1.0
A large bag filled with hot air or gas that rises and floats in the sky
A large balloon tied to the ground with cables to keep low enemy planes away in war
How Big
- Archaic
- Archaic
28
5.7
176
1.0
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally transparent: it denotes a balloon that incorporates kite-like features (stabilizing, oriented into the wind). A B1 learner who knows 'kite' and 'balloon' can reasonably infer it is a kind of balloon with kite-like stabilisation, since modifier+head noun compounds of this sort are common and predictable.
Etymology
Kite balloon gets its name from the way the balloon acts like a kite: it has tails or lobes that help the balloon point into the wind and stay steady. That is why the name means a balloon made to stay steady and 'face the wind' for watching or defence.