unballastedadj.
1.
a. Of vessels: Not ballasted or rendered steady by ballast.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel with reference to qualities or attributes > [adjective] > not seaworthy or unstable > unballasted
unballassed1606
unballast1622
unballasted1657
1657 F. Cockin Divine Blossomes 22 And such a heart, like an unballast'd Ship, Is turned o'r with e'ry breath of wind.
1678 R. Cudworth tr. Philo in True Intellect. Syst. Universe i. iv. 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 Nat. Hist. Enthusiasm ii. 41 Yesterday the unballasted vessel was seen hanging out all the gaiety of its colours.
1897 Outing 30 334/1 No better demonstration of the superiority of the light~draught and unballasted sailboat over the deep, heavy one has been given.
b. figurative. Not steadied or kept in order by serious or solid qualities.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > inattention > mental wandering > light-mindedness > [adjective]
lightlyeOE
lightOE
lightsomea1425
flying1509
light-minded?1529
tickle or light of the sear?1530
giddya1547
light-headed1549
gidded1563
giddish1566
fling-brained1570
tickle-headed1583
toyish1584
shallow1594
leger1598
corky1601
barmy1602
airy1609
unfirma1616
unballast1622
cork-brained1630
unballasted1644
kickshawa1655
unserious1655
unstudious1663
flirtishc1665
caper-witteda1670
shatter-headedc1686
corky-brained1699
flea-lugged1724
halokit1724
shatter-brained1727
scattered-brained1747
shatter-witted1775
flippant1791
butterfly-brained1796
scatter-brained1804
gossamer1806
shandy-pated1806
shattery1820
barmy-brained1823
papilionaceous1832
flirtatious1834
flirty1840
Micawberish1859
scatterheaded1867
flibberty-gibberty1879
thistledown1897
shatter-pated1901
trivial-minded1905
scattery1924
fizgig1928
ditzy1979
1644 J. Milton Of Educ. 2 To be tost and turmoild with their unballasted wits in fadomles and unquiet deeps of controversie.
1670 C. Gataker in T. Gataker Antidote Errour Ep. Ded. sig. A3 The shame and misery will light heavie at last upon these unballasted mindes.
1694 J. Collier Misc. To Rdr. sig. A3 An Vnexperienced, Vnballasted Divine, must be an improper Missionary.
1701 J. Collier tr. Marcus Aurelius Conversat. with Himself p. xxiv Lucius Verus had none of these good Qualities; his Inclinations were eager, unballasted, and lewd.
1796 C. Smith Marchmont III. 144 The unballasted head of Linda..was quite overset.
1808 R. Southey Select. from Lett. (1856) II. 151 Both these men are such unballasted politicians, that the public mind could not be worse guided.
1870 J. R. Lowell My Study Windows 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.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [adjective] > types of track or rail
slow1799
fast1814
fish-jointed1855
prismoidal1874
broad-gauged1881
monorail1885
unballasted1887
sleepered1894
monoline1902
wide gauge1982
1887 M. Roberts Western Avernus 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.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online June 2020).
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adj.1644