ballon d'essai en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌbalɒ̃ dɛˈseɪ/ (UK)
Etymology
Borrowed from French ballon d'essai.
Meanings
-
A policy put forward to test reactions; something designed to test the waters, an experimental measure.
James II may even have planned the reintroduction of the ceremony, for in his reign the old order of service was resurrected and issued in print, as a ballon d'essai, though the Revolution prevented matters being taken any further.
1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 193:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ballons d'essai | Number=Plur | lexicographic |