ballast
noun
any heavy material carried temporarily or permanently in a vessel to provide desired draft and stability.
ballasting
-
present participleof ballast.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Loadings will continue until the ballasting tankers are all used up, as Middle East producers simply don’t have a lot of onshore storage where to put the crude.”
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 4, 2026
Unbalanced because of inefficient ballasting and overcrowded too, the Joola was in no state to survive the heavy storm that hit it just off the coast of The Gambia and after capsizing, it soon sank.
From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2022
Owners are mostly decelerating on the so-called ballasting leg of journeys, when they’re sailing empty, said Martin Korsvold, a Pareto analyst.
From BusinessWeek ● Mar. 9, 2011
Legion officers scouted the idea, pointed out that wives, children, fathers, mothers and other relatives of Legionnaires will accompany them with ballasting effect.
From Time Magazine Archive
Once I got a job with a roustabout gang ballasting a ship, but the wages were only two shillings a day; besides, the job did not last.
From Reminiscences of a South African Pioneer by W. C. (William Charles) Scully
