ballast

[bal-uhst]

noun

1. Nautical.,  any heavy material carried temporarily or permanently in a vessel to provide desired draft and stability.

2. Aeronautics.,  something heavy, as bags of sand, placed in the car of a balloon for control of altitude and, less often, of attitude, or placed in an aircraft to control the position of the center of gravity.

3. anything that gives mental, moral, or political stability or steadiness.

   the ballast of a steady income.

4. gravel, broken stone, slag, etc., placed between and under the ties of a railroad to give stability, provide drainage, and distribute loads.

5. Electricity.

   1. Also called ballast resistor. a device, often a resistor, that maintains the current in a circuit at a constant value by varying its resistance in order to counteract changes in voltage.

   2. a device that maintains the current through a fluorescent or mercury lamp at the desired constant value, sometimes also providing the necessary starting voltage and current.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with ballast.

   to ballast a ship.

2. to give steadiness to; keep steady.

   parental responsibilities that ballast a person.

ballast

/ ˈbæləst /

noun

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

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

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

4. anything that provides stability or weight

5. electronics a device for maintaining the current in a circuit

verb

1. to give stability or weight to

Other Word Forms

• ballaster noun
• ballastic adjective
• overballast verb (used with object)
• subballast noun
• underballast verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballast¹

1450–1500; < Middle Low German, perhaps ultimately < Scandinavian; compare Old Danish, Old Swedish barlast, equivalent to bar bare ¹ + last load; last ⁴

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballast¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in ballast, carrying only ballast; carrying no cargo.

Example Sentences

Bonds are faring better now and seem to be back in their traditional role as ballast in portfolios.

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But most pros believe that 2022 was an anomaly caused by the Federal Reserve’s steep interest-rate hikes to combat inflation, and that bonds have returned to their traditional role as ballast in portfolios.

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Also contained in his report was Captain Perreira’s description of the bars that the vessel was carrying as ballast to keep the ship steady while transporting such a large human cargo to Brazil.

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The crew opened the boat’s ballast tanks, allowing seawater to rush in.

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That flexibility has provided a “ballast” to the university as it “faced operating stressors this year,” he said.

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Related Words

• equilibrium 

When To Use

What does ballast mean?

In general, ballast means something that provides stability or weight.In a specific sense, it’s most commonly used to refer to heavy material used to stabilize a vessel, such as a ship, especially when it’s not carrying cargo. It also refers to the crushed rock used for the foundation of railroad tracks and paved roads. In electronics, ballast refers to a device that maintains the current in a circuit.Ballast can also be used as a verb meaning to provide a ship with a material for ballast. In a more general sense, it can mean to keep steady or give stability to, including in a metaphorical way. Ballast can also be used metaphorically as a noun, especially in the context of mental, emotional, political, or economic stability.Example: The ship’s ballast was improperly secured and caused the ship to list in the water.