ballast

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English bar (“bare”) + last (“load”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /ˈbæl.əst/ Rhymes: -æləst === Noun === ballast (usually uncountable, plural ballasts) (nautical) Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability. (figurative) Anything that steadies emotion or the mind. Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads, or in making concrete; track ballast. (construction) A material, such as aggregate or precast concrete pavers, which employs its mass and the force of gravity to hold single-ply roof membranes in place. (railways) Loose stone or big gravel used to hold rails and tracks in place. (countable, electricity, electronics) device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g. in a tube lamp supply circuit) (figurative) That which gives, or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === ballast (third-person singular simple present ballasts, present participle ballasting, simple past and past participle ballasted) (transitive) To stabilize or load a ship with ballast. (transitive) To lay ballast on the bed of a railroad track. (transitive) To weigh down with a ballast. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Gallery === == Dutch == === Etymology === From Middle Dutch ballast. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /bɑˈlɑst/ Hyphenation: bal‧last Rhymes: -ɑst Homophone: Ballast === Noun === ballast m (plural ballasten, no diminutive) (now chiefly uncountable) ballast (weights used in ships or aerostats) (figurative, uncountable) baggage (something that hampers functioning) ==== Derived terms ==== ballastscheeps ==== Descendants ==== Afrikaans: ballas → Indonesian: balas → Papiamentu: balaster, balastu → Russian: балла́ст (ballást)→ Ukrainian: бала́ст (balást) == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ba.last/ === Noun === ballast m (plural ballasts) (nautical) heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads ==== Descendants ==== → Ottoman Turkish: بالاست (balast)Turkish: balast → Romanian: balast n === Further reading === “ballast”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012 == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology === From Middle Low German barlast. === Noun === ballast m (definite singular ballasten, indefinite plural ballaster, definite plural ballastene) ballast === References === “ballast” in The Bokmål Dictionary. == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology === From Middle Low German barlast. === Noun === ballast m (definite singular ballasten, indefinite plural ballastar, definite plural ballastane) ballast f (definite singular ballasta, indefinite plural ballaster, definite plural ballastene) ballast === References === “ballast” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Swedish == === Noun === ballast c alternative form of barlast (“ballast”) ==== Declension ==== === Adjective === ballast predicative superlative degree of ball === References === “ballast”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish) “ballast”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish) “ballast”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)