Ballast Definition

băləst
ballasts
noun
ballasts
Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship or the gondola of a balloon to enhance stability.
American Heritage
Anything heavy carried in a ship, aircraft, or vehicle to give stability or in a balloon or airship to help control altitude.
Webster's New World
Coarse gravel or crushed rock laid to form a bed for roads or railroads.
American Heritage
Anything giving stability and firmness to character, human relations, etc.
Webster's New World
The gravel ingredient of concrete.
American Heritage
verb
ballasts
To stabilize or provide with ballast.
American Heritage
To furnish with ballast; stabilize.
Webster's New World
To fill (a railroad bed) with or as if with ballast.
American Heritage
To fill in (a railroad bed) with ballast.
Webster's New World

To stabilize or load a ship with ballast.

Wiktionary

Origin of Ballast

  • Perhaps from Old Swedish or Old Danish barlast bar mere, bare bhoso- in Indo-European roots last load

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English bar (“bare”) + last (“load”).

    From Wiktionary

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