ballast
- Noun. (nautical) Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability.
- Noun. (figuratively) Anything that steadies emotion or the mind.
- Noun. Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads.
- Noun. (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.
- Noun. (electronics) device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g.in a tube lamp supply circuit).
- Verb. To stabilize or load a ship with ballast.
- Verb. To lay ballast on the bed of a railroad track.
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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.