Talk:Ballast (disambiguation)

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well it appears that this entry, as well as the wikitionary one, lacks the definitions of Ballast as something to stabilize a character/person.

Huh?[edit]

Shouldn't "Ballast" redirect to "Ballast (disambiguation)", and not the other way around? Jonathan321 (talk) 17:20, 9 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Primary topic[edit]

It seems to me that the primary topic of ballast is something used to add weight to a vessel or vehicle, and that all the vessel or vehicle-related forms are merely examples of this general concept. I would suggest that all other meanings, in place names and media, are comparatively minor. bd2412 T 03:55, 6 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

DISAGREE, leave as is imo as the only base concept for the term ballast is the dictionary definition eg anything that provides stability or weight; from its etymological definition eg probably from Low German; related to Old Danish, Old Swedish barlast, literally: bare load (without commercial value), from bar bare, + last load, burden. The term is widely used in my experience in each of its applications, but imo nowadays it is LEAST used in its original sense (i.e. #1):

1. (Transport / Nautical Terms) any dense heavy material, such as lead or iron pigs, used to stabilize a vessel, esp one that is not carrying cargo

2. (Engineering / Civil Engineering) crushed rock, broken stone, etc., used for the foundation of a road or railway track

3. (Miscellaneous Technologies / Building) coarse aggregate of sandy gravel, used in making concrete

4. (Electronics) Electronics a device for maintaining the current in a circuit

It therefore seems most reasonable to begin the search result at the disambiguation page.

LookingGlass (talk) 07:21, 9 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]