[ˈbaləst], (Noun)

Definitions:
- heavy material, such as gravel, sand, or iron, placed in the bilge of a ship to ensure its stability
(e.g: the hull had insufficient ballast)

- gravel or coarse stone used to form the bed of a railway track or the substratum of a road
(e.g: a thick layer of railway ballast)

- a passive component used in an electric circuit to moderate changes in current
(e.g: ballasts are permanently wired into existing fixtures)


Phrases:
- in ballast

Origin:
mid 16th century: probably of Low German or Scandinavian origin

[ˈbaləst], (Verb)

Definitions:
- give stability to (a ship) by putting a heavy substance in its bilge
(e.g: the vessel has been ballasted to give the necessary floating stability)

- form (the bed of a railway line or the substratum of a road) with gravel or coarse stone
(e.g: the track was laid with rails and ballasted with earth)


Phrases:
- in ballast

Origin:
mid 16th century: probably of Low German or Scandinavian origin