26984 words

ballast

2 definitions • 4 examples
1
heavy matter such as sand, stone, or water that is used at the bottom of a ship or a hot-air balloon to make it heavier, or the small stones on which railways and roads are made:

Examples:

The weed may have been accidentally imported in soil used as ship ballast.
A ship sailing with an empty hold will have filled its ballast tanks at its source port.
2
something that helps someone or something to succeed, especially by keeping them or it under control, or making them or it more serious:

Examples:

He needed his platoon mates around him. They were his ballast.
The team is struggling because of a shortage of the ballast that senior players provide.

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