ballast

bal·last

 (băl′əst)

n.

1. Heavy material that is carried to improve stability or maintain proper trim, as on a ship, or to limit buoyancy, as on a balloon.

2.

a. Coarse gravel or crushed rock laid to form a bed for roads or railroads.

b. The gravel ingredient of concrete.

3. Something that gives stability, especially in character.

tr.v. bal·last·ed, bal·last·ing, bal·lasts

1. To stabilize or provide with ballast.

2. To fill (a railroad bed) with or as if with ballast.

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[Perhaps from Old Swedish or Old Danish barlast : bar, mere, bare; see bhoso- in Indo-European roots + last, load.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ballast

(ˈbæləst)

n

1. (Nautical Terms) any dense heavy material, such as lead or iron pigs, used to stabilize a vessel, esp one that is not carrying cargo

2. (Civil Engineering) crushed rock, broken stone, etc, used for the foundation of a road or railway track

3. (Building) coarse aggregate of sandy gravel, used in making concrete

4. anything that provides stability or weight

5. (Electronics) electronics a device for maintaining the current in a circuit

vb (tr)

to give stability or weight to

[C16: probably from Low German; related to Old Danish, Old Swedish barlast, literally: bare load (without commercial value), from bar bare, mere + last load, burden]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bal•last

(ˈbæl əst)

n.

1. a heavy material carried on a vessel to control draft and stability or a balloon to control altitude.

2. gravel or broken stone placed under the ties of a railroad.

3. a device that maintains the current in an electric circuit at a constant value and may also provide the starting voltage, as in a fluorescent lamp.

v.t.

4. to furnish with ballast.

[1520–30; < Middle Low German, perhaps ultimately < Scandinavian; compare early Dan and Swedish barlast=bar bare¹ + last load]

bal′last•er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

ballast

Past participle: ballasted
Gerund: ballasting

Imperative

ballast

ballast

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	ballast - any heavy material used to stabilize a ship or airship material, stuff - the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object; "coal is a hard black material"; "wheat is the stuff they use to make bread"
	2.	ballast - coarse gravel laid to form a bed for streets and railroads crushed rock, gravel - rock fragments and pebbles
	3.	ballast - an attribute that tends to give stability in character and morals; something that steadies the mind or feelings attribute - an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity
	4.	ballast - a resistor inserted into a circuit to compensate for changes (as those arising from temperature fluctuations) ballast resistor, barretter resistor, resistance - an electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current
	5.	ballast - an electrical device for starting and regulating fluorescent and discharge lamps light ballast electrical device - a device that produces or is powered by electricity
Verb	1.	ballast - make steady with a ballast stabilise, stabilize, steady, brace - support or hold steady and make steadfast, with or as if with a brace; "brace your elbows while working on the potter's wheel"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

ballast

noun counterbalance, balance, weight, stability, equilibrium, sandbag, counterweight, stabilizer She may have to discharge some ballast to make her lighter.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

BallastballastenbeschotternBettungSchotter

σαβούρα

painolastitasapainottaa

ballastballasterlest

balast

zavorrazavorraremassicciata

ballastballastbedbedding

ballastballaste

ballast

[ˈbæləst]

A. N (Naut) (fig) → lastre m (Rail) → balasto m
in ballast → en lastre

B. VT (Naut) → lastrar (Rail) → balastar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ballast

[ˈbæləst] n (for boat) → lest m; (for hot air balloon) → lest mball bearing ball-bearing [ˌbɔːlˈbɛərɪŋ] n → roulement m à billesball boy n → ramasseur m de ballesball cock n → robinet m à flotteur

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

ballast

n

(Naut, Aviat, fig) → Ballast m; to take in/discharge ballast → Ballast aufnehmen/abwerfen

(= stone, clinker) → Schotter m; (Rail) → Bettung (→ sschotter m) f

vt (Naut, Aviat) → mit Ballast beladen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ballast

[ˈbæləst] n → zavorra

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995