Ballast

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Ballast may mean: Template:Wiktionarypar

Something that improves stability:
- Track ballast (gravel or cinders) forms the railroad or railway track-bed on which sleepers and track is laid. The ballast allows for proper drainage and minimizes frost heaving.
- Ship's ballast (water, sand, rocks, or bricks) is used to weight a ship down when it has very little cargo (though water may contain invasive species of pests). It can also be a mass used in a sailboat to provide stability.
- A ballast tank is a device used on submarines and other submersibles in order to control bouyancy, allowing the vehicle to surface or dive.
- A ballast (electrical) is used to stabilize the current flow in lamps.
A village in Drenthe, Netherlands: Ballast (Drenthe)