ballon

or ba·lon

[ French ba-lawn ]

noun

, Ballet.

1. the lightness and grace of movement that make a dancer appear buoyant.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballon¹

First recorded in 1820–30; from French: literally, “balloon” ( balloon ), describing a dancer who appeared to be floating in the air while executing a jump or other movement

Example Sentences

It was not received with universal favour, and, to avert dissension, it was represented as a mere ballon d'essai and was abandoned.

From Project Gutenberg