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ballooning

noun

  1. behaviour in which spiders and some other invertebrates use air-borne dispersal to move between locations
L316698 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /bəˈluːnɪŋ/

adj

  1. Growing rapidly as a balloon.

    The ballooning economy was out of control.

  2. Rising high in the air.

    The cricketer hit a ballooning shot for six runs.

noun

  1. The act of something that swells or expands.

    This major artery from the heart to the lower body, the aorta, can indeed develop aneurysms. These balloonings of the shape of the normally straight artery may cause no bother, no symptoms and no complications.

  2. The sport or hobby of flying in a hot-air balloon.

    When he retired, he took up ballooning.

    Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.

  3. The mechanical kiting used by spiders, mites, caterpillars, etc. to travel through the air.

verb

  1. present participle and gerund of balloon