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

Synonyms:

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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