balonne
balonne Lexical Profile
• noun
Australian A significant river in Queensland, Australia, that flows south-west and forms part of the Condamine-Balonne catchment within the larger Murray-Darling basin.
"The Balonne River flows through the town of St George, providing critical water resources for local agriculture and irrigation."
A jumping step in classical ballet in which the dancer springs into the air, extending one leg, and lands with the working foot drawn to the ankle of the supporting leg.
"The choreographer challenged the dancers with a rapid sequence of balonnes across the stage."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often capitalized as 'Balonne' when referring to the Australian river or local government area. In classical ballet contexts, it is frequently spelled with its original French accent as 'ballonné'.
• Rhymes for balonne
Word Origin & Etymology
The geographical name derives from an Australian Aboriginal word (likely Mandandanji) thought to mean 'water' or 'pelican'. The ballet term is an anglicized spelling of the French 'ballonné', meaning 'bounced' or 'inflated'.