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Ballast
01
a heavy substance placed in a ship's hull or an airship's tanks to lower its center of gravity and counteract unwanted tilting, rolling, or drifting
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Inanimate
Plural form
ballasts
Examples
Submarines flood their ballast tanks to dive and pump them out to resurface safely.
02
an electrical device used to start and regulate the current in fluorescent or discharge lamps
Examples
The electrician replaced the faulty ballast in the ceiling light.
03
something that provides mental, emotional, or moral stability
Examples
Her calm judgment served as ballast during the crisis.
04
crushed stone laid to form a stable foundation for roads or railway tracks
Examples
Workers spread fresh ballast beneath the railway ties.
to ballast
01
to make something stable or balanced by adding or using ballast, which is a heavy material used to provide stability
Grammatical Information
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
ballast
3rd person singular
ballasts
Past simple
ballasted
Past participle
ballasted
Examples
The crew ballasted the ship to prevent it from tilting in rough seas.
