Ballast

Etymology
From from  undefined: + undefined:

Noun

 * 1)  Heavy material that is placed in the hold of a ship (or in the gondola of a balloon), to provide stability.
 * 2)  Anything that steadies emotion or the mind.
 * 3) Coarse gravel or similar material laid to form a bed for roads or railroads.
 * 4)  A material, such as aggregate or precast concrete pavers, which employs its mass and the force of gravity to hold single-ply roof membranes in place.
 * 5)  device used for stabilizing current in an electric circuit (e.g.in a tube lamp supply circuit)

Verb

 * 1) To stabilize or load a ship with ballast.
 * 2) To lay ballast on the bed of a railroad track.

Thesaurus
balance, break bulk, break out ballast, clear for action, clear the decks, consideration, counterbalance, counterpoise, counterweight, equipoise, equivalent, firm, firm up, freeze, give-and-take, hold, immobilize, keep, lead, makeweight, nail down, offset, pin down, poise, quid pro quo, retain, sandbag, setoff, shift ballast, shoot ballast, something of value, stabilitate, stabilize, steady, stick, tit for tat, transfix, trim, trim ship, trim up, weigh down, weight, weight down, wing out ballast