Definition of Ballast
Ballast
bal·last
Definition/Meaning
(verb)
a heavy material, such as rocks or sand, that is placed in a ship in order to make it more stable or placed in a hot air balloon in order to make it more buoyant;
e.g. The ship contained a large number of heavy stones as a ballast.
(noun)
something that provides substance or stability through conduct or character;
e.g. He suggested that the novel needed ballast to make it more serious.
(noun)
broken stones or coarse gravel that are laid as the bed of a railway track or used to make concrete;
e.g. The ballast under the train's tracks is beginning to crumble.
(noun)
a component or device in an electric circuit that is used to stabilize the level of current by moderating changes;
e.g. She added a ballast to the circuitry of the lamp to stop it from flickering.
(verb)
to equip a ship with some heavy substance in order to make it more steady or stable;
e.g. The sailors used sand to ballast the ship before it left the dock.
(verb)
to fill or form something with coarse stones or gravel;
e.g. Next, the workman will ballast the road.
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