Ballast

usgb/ˈbæləst/
noun

A heavy material placed in a ship, hot-air balloon, or aircraft to give it stability.

To keep the ship steady during the storm, the crew adjusted the ballast.
Visual representation of "ballast" - A heavy material placed in a ship, hot-air balloon, or aircraft to give it stability

Often appears as...

  • ship ballast
  • adjust the ballast
Definition 1 of 4
Visual representation of "ballast"
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Maritime Stability

Used in nautical contexts to describe how ships maintain balance in water.

Illustration for Maritime Stability
The crew distributed ballast evenly to avoid capsizing.
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Adjusting Weight

In marine and aviation, 'ballast' often refers to weight that can be adjusted or moved.

Illustration for Adjusting Weight
They added ballast to the lower deck for better stability.
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Craft Specific

Different crafts like ships and balloons use ballast but in varied forms, sandbags or water.

Illustration for Craft Specific
The hot-air balloon lost altitude, so we released some ballast.
Visual representation of the word "Ballast"

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