ballast

Noun

1. (uncountable, usually) Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability.
2. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) Anything that steadies emotion or the mind.
3. (uncountable, usually) Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads, or in making concrete; track ballast.
4. (uncountable, usually) A material, such as aggregate or precast concrete pavers, which employs its mass and the force of gravity to hold single-ply roof membranes in place.
5. (countable, usually) device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g. in a tube lamp supply circuit)
6. (figuratively, uncountable, usually) That which gives, or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security.

Verb

1. (transitive) To stabilize or load a ship with ballast.
2. (transitive) To lay ballast on the bed of a railroad track.
3. (transitive) To weigh down with a ballast.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbæl.əst/

Etymology

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

Synonyms

ballast resistor

gravel

barretter

light ballast

lumber

roadbed

weight

sailing ballast

dead weight

coil

lading

macadamize

maintain

millstone

pebbles

poise

road metal

sale

stabilize

asphalt

subgrade

road-metal

Valium

ballast weight

ballast cargo

base cargo

bottom cargo

bottom stowage

steady resistance

loading resistor

balase

stabilizer

baggage

bed

🛏️

compensate

counterbalance

counterweight

equilibrate

formation

foundation

junk

macadam

Translations

lest

Ballast

ballast

ballast

lastre

zavorra

lastro

balasto

σαβούρα

balastro

Schotter

llast

balastro

έρμα

pléthore

Sentences

Some or all of this ballast would then be discarded when cargo was loaded .