- (a.) Any heavy substance, as stone, iron, etc., put into the hold to sink a vessel in the water to such a depth as to prevent capsizing.
- (v.t.) To keep steady; to steady, morally.
- (a.) Fig.: That which gives or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security.
- (a.) Gravel, broken stone, etc., laid in the bed of a railroad to make it firm and solid.
- (v.t.) To fill in, as the bed of a railroad, with gravel, stone, etc., in order to make it firm and solid.
- (a.) The larger solids, as broken stone or gravel, used in making concrete.
- (a.) Any heavy matter put into the car of a balloon to give it steadiness.
- (v.t.) To steady, as a vessel, by putting heavy substances in the hold.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). ballast. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/ballast/definitions/1978054 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "ballast" http://smartdefine.org/ballast/definitions/1978054 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, ballast, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/ballast/definitions/1978054>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "ballast" 27 May 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/ballast/definitions/1978054> |