Balloon vs. Blimp — What's the Difference?

A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, and air. For special tasks, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g.

A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is an airship (dirigible) without an internal structural framework or a keel. Unlike semi-rigid and rigid airships (e.g.

A small coloured rubber bag which is inflated with air and then sealed at the neck, used as a child's toy or a decoration

A pompous, reactionary, ultranationalistic person.

A large bag filled with hot air or gas to make it rise in the air, typically one carrying a basket for passengers

A nonrigid, buoyant airship.

A rounded outline in which the words or thoughts of characters in a comic strip or cartoon are written

(Derogatory) An obese person.

A large rounded drinking glass, used especially for brandy

(Slang) To become very fat. Often used with out

A stupid person.

(aviation) An airship constructed with a non-rigid lifting agent container.

Swell out in a spherical shape

(by extension) Any large airborne inflatable.

(with reference to a ball) lob or be lobbed high in the air

(slang) An obese person.

Travel by hot-air balloon

A person similar to the cartoon character Colonel Blimp; a pompous, reactionary British man.

A flexible bag designed to be inflated with hot air or with a gas, such as helium, that is lighter than the surrounding air, causing it to rise and float in the atmosphere.

A soundproof cover for a video camera.

Such a bag with sufficient capacity to lift and transport a suspended gondola or other load.

To expand like a blimp or balloon; to become fat.

Such a bag shaped like a figure or object when inflated; an inflatable.

(transitive) To fit (a video camera) with a soundproof cover.

A usually round or oblong inflatable rubber bag used as a toy or decoration.

Any elderly pompous reactionary.

(Medicine) An inflatable device that is inserted into a body cavity or structure and distended with air or gas for therapeutic purposes, such as angioplasty.

A small nonrigid airship used for observation or as a barrage balloon.

See speech bubble.

Any elderly pompous reactionary ultranationalistic person (after the cartoon character created by Sir David Low)

See thought bubble.

A small nonrigid airship used for observation or as a barrage balloon

A balloon payment.

To ascend or ride in a balloon.

To expand or swell out like a balloon.

To increase or rise quickly

To cause to expand by or as if by inflating

Suggestive of a balloon, as in shape

An inflatable buoyant object, often (but not necessarily) round and flexible.

Such an object as a child’s toy or party decoration.

Such an object designed to transport people or equipment through the air.

(medicine) A sac inserted into part of the body for therapeutic reasons; such as angioplasty.

A speech bubble.

A type of glass cup, sometimes used for brandy.

(architecture) A ball or globe on the top of a pillar, church, etc.

(chemistry) A round vessel, usually with a short neck, to hold or receive whatever is distilled; a glass vessel of a spherical form.

(pyrotechnics) A bomb or shell.

(obsolete) A game played with a large inflated ball.

(engraving) The outline enclosing words represented as coming from the mouth of a pictured figure.

(slang) A woman's breast.

(slang) A small container for illicit drugs made from a condom or the finger of a latex glove, etc.

(finance) balloon payment

(intransitive) To increase or expand rapidly.

(intransitive) To go up or voyage in a balloon.

(transitive) To take up in, or as if in, a balloon.

(transitive) To inflate like a balloon.

To strike (a ball) so that it flies high in the air.

(aviation) Of an aircraft: to plunge alternately up and down.

A bag made of silk or other light material, and filled with hydrogen gas or heated air, so as to rise and float in the atmosphere; especially, one with a car attached for aërial navigation.

A ball or globe on the top of a pillar, church, etc., as at St. Paul's, in London.

A round vessel, usually with a short neck, to hold or receive whatever is distilled; a glass vessel of a spherical form.

A bomb or shell.

A game played with a large inflated ball.

The outline inclosing words represented as coming from the mouth of a pictured figure.

To take up in, or as if in, a balloon.

To go up or voyage in a balloon.

To expand, or puff out, like a balloon.

Small thin inflatable rubber bag with narrow neck

Large tough non-rigid bag filled with gas or heated air

Ride in a hot-air balloon;

Become inflated;