What French word, derived from the Montgolfier name, means a hot-air balloon?

Montgolfière is the French word for a hot-air balloon, derived from the surname Montgolfier.

Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier demonstrated practical hot-air balloons in France during the 1780s. Their name became associated with the principle of lifting an envelope using heated air rather than hydrogen or another lighter-than-air gas.

In English, “hot-air balloon” is the usual term, while “Montgolfière” is still used in French and in historical descriptions. The word can also refer specifically to a traditional hot-air balloon in some ballooning contexts.

A common mix-up is to use “dirigeable,” which means an airship capable of being steered. A Montgolfière has no rigid structure and normally drifts with the wind, although the pilot can change altitude to find different air currents.