ballast, balast

[In Sw., Dut., Ger., & Ru . ballast; Dan. baglast; apparently from bag = the back, behind, and last = bur den, charge, load, weight; Sw. last =load, cartload; Icel. hla ; A.S. hlæsta burden, loading, the loading of a ship, freight, merchandise; O. Fries. hlest; O. H. Ger. hlast; Dut. & Ger. last; Fr. balast, lest = ballast, lastage, cargo Sp. lastre = ballast; Port. lastro. The second half of the word seems plain. The import of the first half appears suggested by the Dutch word bag back. Wedgwood believes the metaphor to be that of a ship coming back in ballast when it is unable to obtain cargo. Webster and Mahn give as an alternative view Celt. beal sand, and suggest comparison with Wel. balasarn = ballast. Or the substantive may be from the verb to ballast, and it again from A.S. behlæstan =to load a ship.] [BALLAST, v.t., LASTAGE.] L. Literally: 1. Stones, iron, or other heavy substances placed in the bottom of a ship or boat to lower its centre of gravity and make it le liable to be capsized when to ed by the wind and waves. "They had scarcely time to hide themselves in a dark hole among the gravel which was the ballast of their smack." - Macaulay: Hist . Eng ., ch. xvi. A ship is said to be in ballast when she has no cargo on board. 2. Gravel, shingle, or anything similar, laid on a line of railway to make it solid. (Good rich & Porter.) II. Fig .: Whatever is nece ary to give stability to the character of a person, of a form of government, or anything similar. Why should he sink where nothing seem'd to pre ? His lading little, and his ballast le ."- Swift . "There must be middle counsellors to keep things steady, for without that ballast the ship will roll too much."- Bacon .