ballaster

bal·last

B b

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [bal-uh st]
- /ˈbæl əst/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [bal-uh st]
- /ˈbæl əst/

Definitions of ballaster word

noun ballaster someone who supplies ballast for a ship; someone who ballasts 3
noun ballaster Nautical. any heavy material carried temporarily or permanently in a vessel to provide desired draft and stability. 1
noun ballaster Aeronautics. something heavy, as bags of sand, placed in the car of a balloon for control of altitude and, less often, of attitude, or placed in an aircraft to control the position of the center of gravity. 1
noun ballaster anything that gives mental, moral, or political stability or steadiness: the ballast of a steady income. 1
noun ballaster gravel, broken stone, slag, etc., placed between and under the ties of a railroad to give stability, provide drainage, and distribute loads. 1
noun ballaster Electricity. Also called ballast resistor. a device, often a resistor, that maintains the current in a circuit at a constant value by varying its resistance in order to counteract changes in voltage. a device that maintains the current through a fluorescent or mercury lamp at the desired constant value, sometimes also providing the necessary starting voltage and current. 1

See all 10 definitions of ballaster

Information block about the term

Origin of ballaster

First appearance:

before 1450

One of the 25% oldest English words

1450-1500; < Middle Low German, perhaps ultimately < Scandinavian; compare Old Danish, Old Swedish barlast, equivalent to bar bare1 + last load; see last4

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Ballaster

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Ballaster

ballaster popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 90% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

According to our data most of word are more popular. This word is almost not used. It has a much more popular synonym.

ballaster usage trend in Literature

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