ballast
Fetched 2026-10-26 (cache).
Synonyms: ballas, ballist, ballat, ballant
Antonyms: ballas, ballist, ballat, ballant
Related words from Datamuse; suggestions, not definitions.
Noun
- {{lb|en|nautical}} [[heavy|Heavy]] [[material]] that is placed in the [[hold]] of a [[ship]] (or in the [[gondola]] of a [[balloon]]), to [[provide]] [[stability]].
- {{lb|en|figurative}} Anything that [[steady|steadies]] [[emotion]] or the [[mind]].
- [[coarse|Coarse]] [[gravel]] or similar material [[laid]] to form a [[bed]] for [[road]]s or [[railroad]]s, or in making [[concrete]]; [[track ballast]].
- {{lb|en|construction}} A material, such as [[aggregate]] or precast concrete [[pavers]], which employs its mass and the force of gravity to hold single-ply roof [[membrane|membranes]] in place.
- {{lb|en|countable|electricity|electronics}} device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g. in a tube lamp supply circuit)
- {{lb|en|figurative}} That which gives, or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security.
Verb
- {{lb|en|transitive}} To [[stabilize]] or [[load]] a ship with ballast.
- {{lb|en|transitive}} To [[lay]] ballast on the bed of a [[railroad]] track.
- {{lb|en|transitive}} To [[weigh down]] with a ballast.
Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wiktionary dump) · cached copy, not a rewrite.