ballast

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA^(key): /ˈbæl.əst/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æləst

Noun

ballast (usually uncountable, plural ballasts)

1. (nautical) Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability.
2. (figuratively) Anything that steadies emotion or the mind.
3. Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads, or in making concrete.
4. (construction) 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, electronics) device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g.in a tube lamp supply circuit)
6. (figuratively) That which gives, or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security.
   • Barrow

     It [piety] is the right ballast of prosperity.

Verb

ballast (third-person singular simple present ballasts, present participle ballasting, simple past and past participle ballasted)

1. To stabilize or load a ship with ballast.
2. To lay ballast on the bed of a railroad track.

Gallery

• 
  Ballast provides a supporting bed for rail tracks
• 
  Several typical styles of magnetic ballasts for fluorescent lamps

Etymology

From Middle Dutch ballast.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɑˈlɑst/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bal‧last

Noun

ballast m (plural ballasten)

1. (now chiefly uncountable) ballast (weights used in ships or aerostats)
2. (figuratively, uncountable) baggage (something that hampers functioning)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.last/

• Audio (Fr)

  (file)

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

Noun

ballast m (plural ballasts)

1. (nautical) Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability.
2. Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads.

Further reading

• “ballast” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Etymology

From Middle Low German barlast

Noun

ballast m (definite singular ballasten, indefinite plural ballaster, definite plural ballastene)

1. ballast
   • Jeg var i fin form, men hadde 4kg for mye ballast ombord!

References

• “ballast” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Etymology

From Middle Low German barlast

Noun

ballast m (definite singular ballasten, indefinite plural ballastar, definite plural ballastane)
ballast f (definite singular ballasta, indefinite plural ballaster, definite plural ballastene)

1. ballast

References

• “ballast” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Adjective

ballast

1. superlative predicative form of ball.