ppl. a. [UN-1 8.]
1. Of vessels: Not ballasted or rendered steady by ballast.
1657. F. Cockin, Div. Blossomes, 22.
| And such a heart like an un-ballast’d Ship, | |
| Is turned o’r with e’ry breath of wind. |
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. iv. § 31. 472. These have cut off the most excellent Fulcrum of the Soul,… by means whereof, like unballasted ships, they are tossed up and down perpetually.
1829. I. Taylor, Enthus., ii. 41. Yesterday the unballasted vessel was seen hanging out all the gaiety of its colours.
1897. Outing (U.S.), XXX. 334/1. No better demonstration of the superiority of the light-draught and unballasted sailboat over the deep, heavy one has been given.
b. fig. Not steadied or kept in order by serious or solid qualities.
1644. Milton, Educ., 2. To be tost and turmoild with their unballasted wits in fathomles and unquiet deeps of controversie.
1670. C. Gataker, in Gataker’s Antid. Errour, Ep. Ded. A iij. The shame and misery will light heavie at last upon these unballasted mindes.
1697. Collier, Ess. Mor. Subj., I. (1703), 182. An unexperienced unballasted Divine must be an improper missionary. Ibid. (1701), M. Aurel., Life, p. xxiv. Lucius Verus had none of these good Qualities; his Inclinations were eager, unballasted, and lewd.
1796. Charlotte Smith, Marchmont, III. 144. The unballasted head of Linda … was quite overset.
1809. Southey, Lett. (1856), II. 151. Both these men are such unballasted politicians, that the public mind could not be worse guided.
1870. Lowell, Study Wind., 179. Percival … offers an example … of the poetic temperament unballasted with those less obvious qualities, which make the poetic faculty.
2. Of a railway line: Not filled in with ballast.
1887. M. Roberts, Western Arernus, 204. I could not step in between, for the line was unballasted.
1891. Cycling, 21 Feb., 75. Riding over the ‘sleepers’ on an unballasted railroad would be preferable.
