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Balloon vs Aircraft - What's the difference?

balloon | aircraft |

As nouns the difference between balloon and aircraft

is that balloon is an inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible while aircraft is a vehicle capable of atmospheric flight due to interaction with the air, such as buoyancy or lift.

As a verb balloon

is to increase or expand rapidly.

balloon

English

Noun

(wikipedia balloon) (en noun)
  • An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible.
  • Such an object as a child’s toy.
  • Such an object designed to transport people through the air.
  • (medicine) A sac inserted into part of the body for therapeutic reasons; such as angioplasty.
  • A speech bubble.
  • A type of glass cup, sometimes used for brandy.
  • (architecture) A ball or globe on the top of a pillar, church, etc.
  • the balloon of St. Paul's Cathedral in London
  • (chemistry) A round vessel, usually with a short neck, to hold or receive whatever is distilled; a glass vessel of a spherical form.
  • (pyrotechnics) A bomb or shell.
  • A game played with a large inflated ball.
  • (engraving) The outline enclosing words represented as coming from the mouth of a pictured figure.
  • Synonyms

    * (inflatable object) * toy balloon * (transport) hot-air balloon, Montgolfier * (in medicine) * (speech bubble) speech bubble, fumetto

    Derived terms

    * barrage balloon * balloon animal * balloon-back * balloon barrage * balloon clock * balloon club * balloon flower * ballooning * balloonist * balloon sail * balloon tyre * balloon vine * go down like a lead balloon * hot-air balloon * pilot balloon * trial balloon * weather balloon * when the balloon goes up

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To increase or expand rapidly.
  • His stomach ballooned from eating such a large meal.
    Prices will balloon if we don't act quickly.
  • To go up or voyage in a balloon.
  • To take up in, or as if in, a balloon.
  • See also

    * airship * ball * ballonet * blimp * dirigible * gondola * zeppelin

    aircraft

    Noun

    (aircraft)
  • A vehicle capable of atmospheric flight due to interaction with the air, such as buoyancy or lift.
  • Usage notes

    * The nonstandard plural form is in use among non-native speakers of English.

    Hyponyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * aircraft carrier * model aircraft * rocket aircraft

    See also

    * aeroplane (UK), airplane (US) English invariant nouns English words suffixed with -craft