Looking for the meaning of the word BALLAST in English for both noun and verb forms from the Oxford Dictionary? Below, you can explore all possible meanings and definitions of BALLAST with sentence examples. You can also use the “AUDIO PRONUNCIATION” track to check the correct pronunciation in British English.
Word: Ballast
Speech Type: Noun
mid 16th century: probably of Low German or Scandinavian origin
ˈbaləst
heavy material, such as gravel, sand, or iron, placed in the bilge of a ship to ensure its stability
Short Definition:heavy material to provide stability in ship
Examples:- the hull had insufficient ballast
gravel or coarse stone used to form the bed of a railway track or the substratum of a road
Short Definition:coarse stone forming bed of railway track
Examples:- a thick layer of railway ballast
a passive component used in an electric circuit to moderate changes in current
Short Definition:passive component in electric circuit
Examples:- ballasts are permanently wired into existing fixtures
- ballast resistors
Word: Ballast
Speech Type: Verb
ˈbaləst
give stability to (a ship) by putting a heavy substance in its bilge
Short Definition:stabilize ship with ballast
Examples:- the vessel has been ballasted to give the necessary floating stability
- people insufficiently ballasted with factual information
form (the bed of a railway line or the substratum of a road) with gravel or coarse stone
Short Definition:form bed of railway with ballast
Examples:- the track was laid with rails and ballasted with earth
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