ballast
noun
bal·last
| \ ˈba-ləst
\
\
Definition of ballast
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a heavy substance (such as rocks or water) placed in such a way as to improve stability and control (as of the draft of a ship or the buoyancy of a balloon or submarine)
tossed several tons of ballast overboard
2
: something that gives stability (as in character or conduct)
She provided the ballast we needed during stressful times.
3
: gravel or broken stone laid in a railroad bed or used in making concrete
4
: a device used to provide the starting voltage or to stabilize the current in a circuit (as of a fluorescent lamp)
in ballast
of a ship
: having only ballast for a load
ballast
verb
ballasted;
ballasting;
ballasts
Definition of ballast (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to steady or equip with or as if with ballast
They ballast the canoe with large rocks.
2
: to fill in (something, such as a railroad bed) with ballast (see ballast entry 1 sense 3)
Examples of ballast in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Over the next couple months, crews plan to replace 5,000 feet of rail, 10,000 feet of train control cable, six track switches that allow BART to redirect trains from line to line, and 2.8 million pounds of rock ballast to support the track. — Pete Grieve, SFChronicle.com, "East Bay travelers see significant delays as BART conducts weekend track work," 18 Aug. 2019 In Rose Lavelle, Jill Ellis has one of the most impressive young players in this tournament at her disposal, while Julie Ertz, still only 27, has the experience of winning four years ago and adds ballast to the midfield. — Aimee Lewis, CNN, "France vs. USA: 'A magnificent showcase' for the Women's World Cup," 28 June 2019 For those teams who would aim to fill it, Horford would be a terrific source of ballast: a facilitator to help break playoff defenses, a pillar of any scheme, and a stabilizing force in the locker room. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "The Celtics' Loss Is NBA Free Agency's Gain," 19 June 2019 Wherever conspiracism is reshaping public life, two preventatives are vital: to defend the integrity of knowledge-producing institutions and bolster confidence in the ballast of common sense. — N.c., The Economist, "Conspiracy theories are dangerous—here’s how to crush them," 12 Aug. 2019 But in 2019, Rodriguez has shed his past inconsistency and emerged as ballast for the Red Sox rotation, a pattern that continued with seven shutout innings in a 9-4 Red Sox victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field. — Alex Speier, BostonGlobe.com, "‘Steady Eddie’ Rodriguez gets Red Sox back on track," 23 July 2019 The Bear and its sister boat, the Bull, are both reproductions of an 1860s-era sandbagger sloop, a boat developed after watermen started racing shoal-draft sloops using sandbags instead of their catch of the day as ballast. — Washington Post, "Take Someone Sailing Day gives newbie sailors nautical skills," 6 July 2019 Concrete is typically used as ballast to help intentionally sink ships -- those slated to become reefs -- straight down in an upright fashion and to hold them in place. — Kevin Spear, orlandosentinel.com, "Orlando utility donates 200 tons of concrete to help sink cocaine ship," 2 July 2019 Semi-submersibles have grown increasingly sophisticated over the years as drug traffickers have refined the basic design, reducing the ship’s profile with a variety of means, including ballast tanks designed to lower the ship in the water. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Watch the Coast Guard Chase Down a Drug-Running Semi-Submersible," 12 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Gillis said the new bridge will be ballasted, rather than fixed. — Mary Wisniewski, chicagotribune.com, "Metra awarded $17.8 million in federal funds to rebuild Irving Park rail bridge," 21 Aug. 2019 Green Bay’s unbalanced and condensed formations, presnap motions, first-down play-actions and intertwined route combinations play to Rodger’s sharp football IQ, ballasting his reads and timing. — Andy Benoit, SI.com, "Aaron Rodgers, Packers’ Offense Primed to Thrive Under New Head Coach Matt LaFleur," 23 July 2019 Roughly a third of the structure is submerged and ballasted by 5,000 tons of iron ore. — Michael J. Coren, Quartz, "Floating wind farms just became a serious business," 22 June 2019 The subs are built from a variety of materials, but primarily plastics, carbon fiber, and other composites, with a few metal components and some weights to ballast the vessel. — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, "The Preposterous World of Human-Powered Submarine Racing," 9 Aug. 2017 Seawater ballasts help with stability and the horizontal surface is layered in solar panels and antennas. — Bill Monroe, OregonLive.com, "Oregon tag holders asked/required to report hunting, fishing results," 11 Jan. 2018 Seawater ballasts help with stability and the horizontal surface is layered in solar panels and bristles with antennas and a small wind generator. — Bill Monroe, OregonLive.com, "Local boat builder helps rower reach his ambition: Cross the Pacific Ocean," 5 Jan. 2018 Heritage-Crystal Clean contracted with Huston Electric to retrofit the light ballasts with LED fixtures. — Carole Carlson, Post-Tribune, "Industry fines help fund upgrades at Gary schools," 23 Oct. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ballast.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ballast
ballast
noun
English Language Learners Definition of ballast
: heavy material (such as rocks or water) that is put on a ship to make it steady or on a balloon to control its height in the air
See the full definition for ballast in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ballast
noun
bal·last
| \ ˈba-ləst
\
\
Kids Definition of ballast
1
: heavy material used to make a ship steady or to control the rising of a balloon
2
: gravel or broken stone laid in a foundation for a railroad or used in making concrete
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