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. (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 (SO) ballast in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL) ballast in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)