ballon d'essai

[ ba-lawn de-se ]

noun

, French.

, plural bal·lons d'es·sai [b, a, -law, n, de-, se].

1. trial balloon ( def ).

ballon d'essai

/ bæˈlõ dɛˈseɪ /

noun

1. a project or policy put forward experimentally to gauge reactions to it Compare trial balloon

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballon d'essai¹

C19: from French, literally: trial balloon

Example Sentences

This little ballon d'essai met the fate of many such, for the manuscript was returned within a fortnight.

From Project Gutenberg

That was a ballon d'essai, as they call it, and they think it was a very happy one.

From Project Gutenberg

The first born is a ballon d'essai.

From Project Gutenberg

The Germans would simply use the small offer, not as a ballon d'essai, but as a means of inaugurating direct negotiations.

From Time Magazine Archive

She was not a ballon d’essai; she was literally the whole show; and if she duplicated the sensational success of poor little Miss Claridge, we had nothing to fear.

From Project Gutenberg