noun · rare

trial balloon

trial balloon · trial balloons

антена, вусик, щупальце

пробный шар, зондаж

Versuchsballon

A small balloon released into the sky to determine the direction and tendency of winds…A small balloon released into the sky to determine the direction and tendency of winds in the upper air before a manned ascent in a larger balloon; a ballon d'essai.

UK/ˌtɹaɪəl bəˈluːn/US/ˌtɹaɪəl bəˈlun/

» It was just a trial balloon.

Це була просто пробна куля.

Meaning

2 senses

(historical)A small balloon released into the sky to determine the direction and tendency of winds in the upper air before a manned ascent in a larger balloon; a ballon d'essai.
(figuratively, idiomatic)An idea, suggestion, or prospective action, product, etc., offered to an audience or group in order to test whether it generates acceptance or interest.
Versuchsballon
про́бный шарpróbnyj šar, зонда́жzondáž

More definitions

a balloon sent up to test air currents
a test of public opinion

Examples

2 sentences

It was just a trial balloon.
Це була просто пробна куля. — deniko
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · deniko · B2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
It's a trial balloon.
Це пробна куля. — deniko
ruЭто пробный шар. — marafon
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · deniko · B2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

6 languages

Русский

By meaning 1

idea, suggestion, etc., offered to test whether it generates acceptance or interest:

Deutsch

By meaning 1

idea, suggestion, etc., offered to test whether it generates acceptance or interest:

Origin

Calque of French ballon d’essai (“small balloon released into the sky to determine the dir

Calque of French ballon d’essai (“small balloon released into the sky to determine the direction and tendency of winds in the upper air before a manned ascent in a larger balloon; (figuratively) prospective action to test acceptance”): ballon (“balloon”), essai (“trial, try; assay”).

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source