Forms: 6 balase, -esse, -isse, 6–7 balasse, ballasse, -ace, -ase, 7 balast, ballise, ize, -aise, 7– ballast. [f. prec. sb.]
1. trans. To furnish (a ship) with ballast; to render (her) steady under sail by a sufficient weight in the hold.
1538. Leland, Itin., I. 52. The Shipes were balissed with great coble stone.
1604. Drayton, Owle, 78. To ballast Ships for steddinesse in winde.
1655. Tuckney, Good Day Impr., 34. So much burden would serve to ballast the ship, more would sink it.
1866. Kingsley, Herew., v. 114. They ballasted their ship with pebbles.
2. transf. To steady (generally).
1596. Fitz-Geffrey, Sir F. Drake (1881), 54. Constant stabilitie ballassed her [i.e., Fortune’s] feete.
1601. Holland, Pliny, X. xxiii. Cranes … ballaise themselves with stones in their feet, that they flie more steadie.
3. fig. To steady mentally or morally.
c. 1600. Pharisaismes & Chr., 35. Ballace your wavering hearts with the sound truth of godlinesse.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., xi. § 1 (1669), 113. If he be not well ballast with humility, a little gust … will tople him into this sin.
1792. A. Young, Trav. France, 547. Mature deliberation is wanted to ballast the impetuosity of the people.
† 4. To freight, load (with cargo). Obs.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., III. ii. 140. Who sent whole Armadoes of Carrects to be ballast at her nose.
1622. Callis, Stat. Sewers, 1–2. I lanched forth my Ship … furnish’d and ballist with Merchandize.
1666. Lond. Gaz., No. 93/1. Four ships well laden and ballasted with Goods.
5. transf. and fig. To load, burden, weight, weigh down. arch.
1566. Drant, Wail. Jerem., K vj. He ballasde me with balefull bitternes.
1592. Nashe, P. Penilesse, 14. A wolfe being about to deuoure a horse doth balist his belly with earth, that he may hang the heauier vpon him.
1630. Brathwait, Eng. Gentl. (1641), 299. Their conceits are ever ballased with harshnesse.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., ix. These yellow rascals must serve to ballast my purse a little longer.
6. To fill in or form with ballast (the bed of a railroad, etc.); cf. BALLAST sb. 5.
1864. in Webster.
1881. Chicago Times, 4 June. Laying down steel rails and liberally ballasting the whole line.
¶ Confused with BALANCE v. See BALANCE sb. 7.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., VI. iv. 55. The cause for Tribute was ballized betwixt them.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), I. 414. We furl’d our Main-sail, and ballasted our Mizen.
