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ballast

   Also found in: Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
bal·last  (blst)
n.
1. Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship or the gondola of a balloon to enhance stability.
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.

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

ballast
Noun
1. a substance, such as sand, used to stabilize a ship when it is not carrying cargo
2. crushed rock used for the foundation of a road or railway track
Verb
to give stability or weight to [probably Low German]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.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)
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
electrical device - a device that produces or is powered by electricity
Verb1.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"

ballast
Translations

ballast [ˈbæləst] nlastre m
ballast [ˈbæləst] nlest m
ballast [ˈbæləst] nBallast m
ballast [ˈbæləst] nzavorra


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The risk of advertising her as able to sail without ballast is not great, since the statement does not imply a warranty of her arriving anywhere.
For example, there may be a deposition of dew upon the silk, to the extent, even, of several hundred pounds ; ballast has then to be thrown out, or the machine may descend.
He took only two hundred pounds of ballast for "unforeseen emergencies," as he remarked, since otherwise he did not expect to use any, thanks to the peculiarity of his apparatus.
 
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