Part 507

Bal"lad, v. i. To make or sing ballads. [Obs.]

Bal"lad, v. t. To make mention of in ballads. [Obs.]

Bal*lade" (&?;), n. [See Ballad, n.] A form of French versification, sometimes imitated in English, in which three or four rhymes recur through three stanzas of eight or ten lines each, the stanzas concluding with a refrain, and the whole poem with an envoy.

Bal"lad*er (&?;), n. A writer of ballads.

Bal"lad mon`ger (&?;). [See Monger.] A seller or maker of ballads; a poetaster. Shak.

Bal"lad*ry (&?;), n. [From Ballad, n.] Ballad poems; the subject or style of ballads. "Base balladry is so beloved." Drayton.

{ Bal"la*hoo, Bal"la*hou } (bl"l*h), n. A fast-sailing schooner, used in the Bermudas and West Indies.

Bal"la*rag (-rg), v. t. [Corrupted fr. bullirag.] To bully; to threaten. T. Warton.

Bal"last (bl"last), n. [D. ballast; akin to Dan. baglast, ballast, OSw. barlast, Sw. ballast. The first part is perh. the same word as E. bare, adj.; the second is last a burden, and hence the meaning a bare, or mere, load. See Bare, a., and Last load.] 1. (Naut.) Any heavy substance, as stone, iron, etc., put into the hold to sink a vessel in the water to such a depth as to prevent capsizing.

2. Any heavy matter put into the car of a balloon to give it steadiness.

3. Gravel, broken stone, etc., laid in the bed of a railroad to make it firm and solid.

4. The larger solids, as broken stone or gravel, used in making concrete.

5. Fig.: That which gives, or helps to maintain, uprightness, steadiness, and security.

It [piety] is the right ballast of prosperity. Barrow.

Ballast engine, a steam engine used in excavating and for digging and raising stones and gravel for ballast. -- Ship in ballast, a ship carrying only ballast.

Bal"last, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ballasted; p. pr. & vb. n. Ballasting.] 1. To steady, as a vessel, by putting heavy substances in the hold.

2. To fill in, as the bed of a railroad, with gravel, stone, etc., in order to make it firm and solid.

3. To keep steady; to steady, morally.

'T is charity must ballast the heart. Hammond.

Bal"last*age (&?;), n. (Law) A toll paid for the privilege of taking up ballast in a port or harbor.

Bal"last*ing, n. That which is used for steadying anything; ballast.

Bal"la*try (&?;), n. See Balladry. [Obs.] Milton.

||Bal"let` (bl"l` or bl"lt; 277), n. [F., a dim. of bal dance. See 2d Ball, n.] 1. An artistic dance performed as a theatrical entertainment, or an interlude, by a number of persons, usually women. Sometimes, a scene accompanied by pantomime and dancing.

2. The company of persons who perform the ballet.

3. (Mus.) A light part song, or madrigal, with a fa la burden or chorus, -- most common with the Elizabethan madrigal composers.

4. (Her.) A bearing in coats of arms, representing one or more balls, which are denominated bezants, plates, etc., according to color.

Ball"-flow`er (&?;), n. (Arch.) An ornament resembling a ball placed in a circular flower, the petals of which form a cup round it, -- usually inserted in a hollow molding.

||Bal*lis"ta (&?;), n.; pl. Ballistæ (&?;). [L. ballista, balista, fr. Gr. ballein to throw.] An ancient military engine, in the form of a crossbow, used for hurling large missiles.