ballast
|bal-last|
/ˈbæl.əst/
weight that stabilizes
Etymology
'ballast' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'balast', ultimately from Vulgar Latin 'ballastum' (related to 'balla' meaning 'bale' or 'bundle').
'ballast' changed from Vulgar Latin 'ballastum' to Old French/Middle Dutch forms (e.g. Old French 'balast', Middle Dutch 'ballast') and then entered Middle English as 'balast', eventually becoming modern English 'ballast'.
Initially it referred to a 'bale' or packed load (from 'balla'), and over time the sense specialized to mean material placed as weight for stability and later extended to technical senses (railway ballast, electrical ballast) and figurative uses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
heavy material (such as stone, sand, iron) placed in a ship's hold or attached to a vehicle or structure to improve stability and balance.
The ship took on ballast before the long voyage to improve stability.
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Noun 2
loose stone or gravel laid under and around railway tracks to provide stability and drainage (track ballast).
The railway ballast must be renewed periodically to keep the tracks stable.
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Noun 3
an electrical device used to limit or regulate the current through a gas-discharge lamp (e.g., fluorescent lamps).
Many fluorescent fittings contain a ballast to control lamp current.
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Noun 4
something that gives stability, firmness, or confidence (figurative use).
Her calm judgment was the ballast of the committee during the crisis.
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Verb 1
to provide with ballast; to add weight to something (especially a ship or vehicle) to stabilize it.
They ballasted the boat before setting out to sea.
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Last updated: 2026/01/06 05:26